In more bad news, over 7,000 doctors and 10,000 nurses of hospitals run by the municipal corporations also went on indefinite strike demanding salary and arrears. Around 12,000 engineering staff of the civic bodies also joined the stir.
Delhi government has been maintaining that it has provided adequate funds of over Rs 2,187 crore under non-planned head to the three municipal corporations in the current fiscal, alleging that a “salary scam” has led to the crisis.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in Bengaluru for naturopathy treatment, said he has issued direction to deploy as many trucks as needed to clear the city of garbage and accused BJP of playing politics on the issue.
“I have directed govt to deploy as many trucks as are needed to lift garbage. Public should not be inconvenienced,” he tweeted.
“BJP is spreading garbage across the city. AAP government is clearing them. Own politics. I appeal to people to help us clearing the garbage,” he further said.
On the fourth day of the strike by the sanitation workers, hundreds of BJP workers joined the agitators extending the party’s solidarity with them.
“Delhi government is responsible for the crisis. It has not allocated adequate funds to the three municipal corporations. They are not bothered about the problem being faced by the people,” Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said.
Slamming the municipal corporations, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asked where the money released by the Delhi government has gone and alleged a “salary scam” in the BJP-ruled civic bodies.
“There is a salary scam and that is why they are not being able to pay the dues,” he told a press conference.
He said people are suffering due to the strike by sanitation workers and alleged that BJP was doing politics over the issue.
PTI