AAP, BJP spar over delay in paying salaries of civic body employees

Thousands of civic employees, majorly from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, went on an indefinite strike on Monday against non-payment of salaries and pension.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led municipal corporations in Delhi (MCD) over the delay in payment of salaries to thousands of employees, forcing them to stage protests against the municipal agencies earlier this week.

An employee of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) north-zone sprays water to control the dust at Bhalswa landfill in New Delhi. (AFP)

“The BJP-led MCDs first created a crisis by not paying salaries to their employees for 5-6 months. After they stopped work to protest, they were paid. It means the civic agencies have the money and they have been misleading everyone about the lack of funds. It shows they are hell bent on defaming the AAP government in Delhi by causing inconvenience to people. They should apologise to all,” said Durgesh Pathak, AAP’s in charge of municipal affairs.

The BJP Delhi unit’s spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor countered, “The AAP leader should know that every year the civic agencies collect property tax around September. The revenues of the civic agencies have been affected by the pandemic. That is why we are paying salaries and pensions in instalments. The AAP should stop doing politics over this issue and release the money they owe to the MCDs.”

Thousands of civic employees, majorly from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, went on an indefinite strike on Monday against non-payment of salaries and pension.

The protesting employees include engineers, clerical staff, teachers and sanitation workers. Some said they have not received salaries for around four months.

They called off their strike on Tuesday after a meeting with the the north civic body authorities, who agreed to pay pending salaries and pensions.