AAP, BJP spar again over salaries of dengue workers

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday criticised the BJP-ruled municipal corporations (MCDs) for not complying with the court’s order to pay a salary of Rs 32,000 per month to dengue-malaria warriors of Delhi instead of the present Rs 14,000.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday criticised the BJP-ruled municipal corporations (MCDs) for not complying with the court’s order to pay a salary of Rs 32,000 per month to dengue-malaria warriors of Delhi instead of the present Rs 14,000.

AAP leader and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak (File photo)

The party also said AAP had moved the Delhi high court against the north MCD’s decision to suspend 30 of its councillors last week after which the court on Monday ‘rejected the civic body’s last two sessions’ and served notice over the suspension orders.

Addressing a press conference, AAP leader and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak said the fight against dengue and malaria cannot happen without the people who spray anti-dengue and malaria medicines across the Capital.

“These people are also known as dengue-malaria warriors. They check the breeding of larvae, go door to door and spray the medicine. There are around 3,500 such people who work as dengue-malaria warriors. But it is unfortunate that the BJP-ruled MCD is showing a step-motherly attitude towards these people. From 2002, the BJP-ruled MCD has not confirmed their jobs but kept them as contractual employees. These people protested many times. The BJP leaders repeatedly assured them of justice but always denied it,” he said.

“These people had no other way than moving court and in 2019, they got rights after the court’s verdict. The court ruled that these employees should get a Rs 32,000 salary instead of Rs 14,000. The verdict also observed that the BJP-ruled MCD should clear their arrears and bonus from 2012. The court issued a timeline of March 31, 2020, to finish these works. But none of it was complied with,” Pathak said.

He also said, “Some days back when the AAP raised the issue of salaries, then the councillors were suspended for 15 days. The North MCD called the house two times within a span of 15 days. AAP then moved the Delhi HC against the suspension order. Today, the Delhi HC rejected these two sessions and served notice to the MCD over the suspension orders.”

North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash said salary up to the month of August had been released to domestic breeding checkers (DBC). Asking Pathak to “first clarify his facts” and then make allegations, he said. “The North Delhi Municipal Corporation will soon release outstanding salaries to DBC employees. The Delhi government wants to create an atmosphere of anarchy in Delhi by stopping funds due to the corporation.”

Responding to AAP’s allegations, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said the Kejriwal government owed crores of rupees to the three municipal corporations.

“But the Kejriwal government will never discuss those dues due to which the economic condition of the MCDs is deteriorating. It is due to sheer political malice that the Delhi government has neither released the entire funds allocated to the MCDs and whatever is given, it is not given on time,” he said.

“The result of all this is that the Delhi government had to release stalled funds of about Rs 18,000 crore by March 31, 2020, to all the three municipal corporations. Half of the current financial year 2020-21 had gone but even 25% of the total fund had not been released yet,” Gupta said.