Delhi MCDs target Delhi govt over water logging crisis

New Delhi:

New Delhi:

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Mayors of the three BJP-led municipal corporations on Friday alleged the Delhi government departments were to be blamed for the waterlogging crisis in parts of the city. They also demanded that funds for this quarter, which has been due to the three civic bodies, be released at the earliest.

North Delhi mayor Jai Prakash, South Delhi mayor Anamika Mithilesh and East Delhi mayor Nirmal Jain in a joint press conference alleged that they were not getting enough cooperation from the various Delhi government departments to deal with the Covid crisis as well as in handling issues such as waterlogging.

“Delhi has been battling Covid and the city government woke up only after Union home minister Amit Shah took the matter in his own hands. Now, waterlogging is another issue troubling people and even a death has occurred because of it. We have been trying to work with the AAP government, but they are not cooperating enough,” Jai Prakash said.

A 56-year-old driver of a mini truck had reportedly drowned near the waterlogged Minto Bridge in central Delhi on Sunday.

Prakash said that before the monsoons, the corporation held a meeting with officials of the public works department (PWD) and those from the flood and irrigation department to check preparedness. Five agencies are associated with addressing the issue water logging --- PWD, flood department, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development (DSIIDC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the three civic bodies.

“The Delhi government departments had claimed that they had done de-silting, which proved to be false in the torrential rain on Sunday. Four major agencies are with the city government. Civic bodies only look after drains that are four feet deep. The department must be prepared well in advance. Minto Bridge has been getting submerged in water every year,” said Prakash.

He said he will visit Kirari on Saturday, where waterlogging is a major issue. “I have requested Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to join in and help the people,” said Prakash.

The three mayors said funds “due” to the corporations must be released so that they are able to pay their staff. “I had met the CM last week, after which he had assured to release the due funds, but it has not been done so far. Rs 1,108 crore of the first and second quarter of the North Corporation is due, which must be released immediately,” said Prakash.

The south mayor said they are exploring all possible revenue generation sources to deal with the situation and trying to be self-sustainable. “Our funds have been due. However, rather than expecting financial assistance from the government, we plan to generate funds on our own,” said Anamika Mithilesh.

East mayor Jain said, “We had met the team of Delhi finance minister Satyendra Jain. The file for disbursement of funds has still not moved from his table. Of the around Rs 1,600 crore funds due under the planned head as well as BTA (basic tax assignment), only Rs 91 crore has been released so far.”

While the east civic body has paid salaries to its staff until June, the south corporation has paid until May. North corporation officials said the salaries of its sanitation staff, junior and senior resident doctors have been paid till May while the rest of the health care staff and teachers on Covid duty have been paid till April. The rest of the staff has been paid only until March.

AAP targets MCDs

In a seperate press meet, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said it would start a protest if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled municipal corporations do not clear the salaries of doctors in hospitals under their jurisdiction in three days.

“The whole world is going through the Covid-19 pandemic, which is the worst-ever crisis in the history of mankind. Our country India is also hit by this pandemic and the medical fraternity is relentlessly working to save the citizens. The doctors, nurses, paramedics, other health officials are trying their best to provide the best health facility to all of us,” said AAP’s national spokesperson and Rajendra Nagar MLA Raghav Chadha.

He said, “It is unfortunate that in Delhi, the capital of India, the medical staff in two hospitals under the BJP-ruled MCD have not received their salaries since March. We all talk about respecting doctors, we salute them, and the central government showered flowers from fighter jets to show respect to our Covid warriors. But the BJP cannot pay their salaries.”

Spokesperson for AAP and Kalkaji MLA Atishi said, it is very “saddening to see that the BJP has not paid the salaries of doctors of Kasturba Hospital and Hindu Rao Hospital in the time of Covid pandemic . “...The AAP govt has already disbursed the required amount to the MCDs but due to BJP’s corruption, the doctors are not getting the salary...When the audit of North MCD was done, financial irregularities of more than three thousand crores was found. In the South MCD also, financial irregularities of more than Rs 1,250 crore were found,” Atishi alleged.

She said, “The MCDs get money from taxes, property taxes, advertisement, etc., but the BJP leaders put this money on their pocket. They do the same with the money given to the MCDs by the Delhi government.”

Chadha said, “AAP demands that BJP should not violate the rights of doctors. They should immediately pay the salaries of the doctors who are working relentlessly in the times of pandemic. The BJP has no right to disrespect the health workers and Covid warriors of Delhi. If the BJP cannot respect the health workers of Delhi, then at least they should uphold the rights of the doctors by giving them their salaries...If the BJP does not pay the salaries of the doctors within three days, then AAP will launch a huge protest. We challenge the MCDs that if they do not pay the salaries of the doctors, then AAP will take to the streets for the rights of the health workers.”