Mayors meet Sisodia, assure restoration of work

Mayors of all three Municipal Corporations of Delhi on Thursday assured deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of bringing the striking workers back to work though they refused to end their strike after Rs 551-crore loan announcement.

“Met all the three mayors just now. They have assured me that they are making all efforts to get the striking employees back to work,” Sisodia tweeted after meeting the mayors.

“Sisodia admitted the crisis is real and there should be no delay in payment of salaries to the striking employees. He also admitted North and East Municipal Corporations needed more money.

“Sisodia said he will talk to the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal for the release of additional Rs 307 crore to North and East municipal corporations,” North Delhi Mayor Ravinder Gupta said after the meeting at the Secretariat.

The mayors told Sisodia releasing some money is not a permanent solution to the financial crisis faced by them.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced a loan of Rs 551 crore to pay pending salaries of agitating workers of two municipal corporations.

However, the employees refused to call off their strike and said the funds were not a permanent solution to the financial crisis.

“We asked him for a permanent solution and told him the loans(extended) by Delhi government will put pressure on the MCDs which are not in a position to pay interest,” said East Delhi Mayor Harshdeep Malhotra.

“We told him we will accept the loan of Rs 551 crore as an installment of Rs 3,000 crore yet to be paid by the government to the MCDs,” said South Delhi mayor Subhash Arya.

The mayors said they have appealed to the government and the striking employees to help them restore essential services of sanitation, health and education provided by the municipal corporations.