Arvind Kejriwal
To press for their demands, the striking sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Thursday staged a protest near the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Since September 12, the sanitation workers of the EDMC, have been on strike demanding payment of their pending salaries and regularisation of contract workers.
Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has misled them.
"Sanitation workers are protesting outside my residence,” he said and added, “I am going to talk to them and present facts before them.”
Kejriwal said he is worried about the sanitation arrangements in the national capital and the workers as they have to protest in every two months to get their salaries.
On Wednesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government informed the Supreme Court that it is providing an additional Rs 330 crore to EDMC alone to enable it to pay salaries of sanitation workers. So, the total amount being given to the civic body in just six months of the current financial year is now Rs 770 crore. The government has already released Rs 440 crore to EDMC within first six months of this year, a Delhi government statement said.
The Delhi government also alleged that money provided to EDMC was being "diverted" for payment of contractors.
There are around 16,000 workers in EDMC and half of them are permanent employees.
(With PTI inputs)
