CM Kejriwal alleges financial irregularities in Corporations

Amid piling garbage on East Delhi roads due to the ongoing sanitation workers strike, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the MCD councillors of pocketing funds meant to pay salaries to the workers.

“BJP playing dirty politics with Delhi. Their councillors siphoned (off) funds meant for salaries of MCD employees and then throw garbage on Delhi roads,” Kejriwal tweeted.

The Chief Minister’s outburst came a day after the government announced an advanced payment of Rs 119 crore to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). However, the unions of the agitating workers have described as “too little” the assistance offered by the government.

All the three wings of the Delhi Municipal Corporation are controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Delhi government also released a statement stating it had released Rs 609 crore in fiscal 2016-17 for municipal employees and Rs 702 crore in 2015-16.

In contrast, earlier, when the AAP did not control Delhi, the amount allotted was much less, it said: Rs 441 crore in 2014-15, Rs 416 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 399 crore in 2012-13.

The Corporations, on the other hand,  have been demanding the implementation of the Fourth Finance Commissions recommendations that propose a greater share of revenue to the civic bodies. 

The indefinite strike by sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, which entered its fourth day on Monday, has left the trans-Yamuna region reeling under a garbage crisis.

East Delhi generates a large quantity of garbage, with the Ghazipur landfill site receiving 2,500 tonnes of waste on an average daily.

On the other hand, East Delhi Municipal Corporation Standing Committee Chairman Jeetendra Chaudhary blamed the lack of budget funds and the Delhi government’s “casual behaviour” for missing out on workers’ wages.

“As per certain guidelines of fourth Delhi Finance Commission, MCD was to get a boost in its budget. But the Delhi government is yet to finalise the recommendations... As of now it owes us Rs 4,900 crore,” Chaudhary said. 

“They (AAP) should stop playing their blame-game and come out in open for debate over the accusations it has leveled against MCD. We have been trying to meet Kejriwal for the last five days, but he is always either in Punjab or in Goa. He does not have any time for Delhi,” he added.

Chaudhury also said that his department owes Rs 2,200 crore in arrears to its employees.