Financial dispute: EDMC, North MCD mulling to move court, sit on strike

Amid the tussle between AAP government and BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations over financial issues, cash-strapped North and East Corporations have declared all out war against the government. The North Corporation, after convening a special House on Monday, announced to move court and sit on <g data-gr-id="38">hungerstrike</g> if funds are not released immediately. 

The East Corporation <g data-gr-id="39">too</g> announced to convene a special House this week for <g data-gr-id="37">similar</g> move. “I have directed the Commissioner to prepare to go to court for seeking our funds which are our legitimate right. In order to mount pressure, we are also planning to sit on <g data-gr-id="40">hungerstrike</g> in front of the CM’s residence,” said Mayor of North MCD Ravinder Gupta.  

Gupta said: “The Delhi government has deliberately stopped releasing funds to the Corporations. Their global share and grants in various heads are not being given accordingly with efforts to paralyse civic services. We have not paid salaries and pensions and even have stopped councillors’ funds. A total of Rs 250 crore, deposited in the Provident Fund, have been spent to meet the expenses. If the sanitation system collapses and the staff go on strike due to non-payment of salaries, only the Delhi government would be responsible.” 

The EDMC, too, announced to go to court along with North Corporation. “East Corporation is running a loss of nearly Rs 1,000 crore every year and is facing <g data-gr-id="31">acute</g> shortage of money. If the government will not release <g data-gr-id="26">money</g> immediately, civic services will be badly hit,” said Harshdeep Malhotra, EDMC Mayor. 

Condemning the indifferent attitude of the Delhi government towards civic agencies, North MCD Mayor said efforts have been made to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to demand the Corporation’s legitimate right to funds but in vain. 

He said for several years the Delhi government has not released funds and now, currently, the amount has reached a whopping Rs 2,000 crore. It is due to this that the civic body is not able to pay salaries to its employees for the past two months and pensions to beneficiaries besides payment to contractors since June last year.