MCD strike in Delhi: Services remain crippled for sixth day as sanitation workers continue protest

New Delhi: Functioning of three BJP-ruled municipal corporations remained severely crippled for the sixth day on Monday due to the strike by santitation workers, with heaps of garbage littering the streets. Hospitals and schools under the civic bodies too remained paralysed with doctors, paramedical staff and teachers on strike. [caption id=“attachment_2607038” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Several areas across the city continued to grapple with heaps of uncollected garbage as the indefinite strike by over 60,000 sanitation workers entered its sixth day. Over 12,000 doctors, nurses and para-medics had joined the stir three days back. Nearly 15,000 teachers of East and North municipal corporations struck work on Monday, badly affecting the functioning of 1,100 schools where over seven lakh students study. The striking teachers said they will not report for duty unless their demands are met. Seven major hospitals and scores of poly clinics and dispensaries operated by the two civic bodies — East and North — could only run emergency services because of the strike by the doctors, nurses and paramedics. While sanitation workers, teachers, doctors and nurses and engineering staff of East and North municipal corporations struck work completely, some of their counterparts in South Delhi civic body joined the protest symbolically. Hundreds of teams from Delhi Government’s Public Works Department and Delhi Jal Board, meanwhile, continued to clear out garbages from across the city and in some areas they faced resistance from the striking MCD employees. AAP MLAs and Ministers also lifted garbages in some areas. The three municipal corporations have been blaming the AAP Government for the fund crunc,h alleging adequate financial resources have not been extended to them. The AAP government has been maintaining that it has provided over Rs 2,187 crore under non-plan head to the three municipal corporations in the current fiscal, alleging that a “salary scam” has led to the crisis. “Whatever money we had to give, we have already given. The MCD must tell where the money allocated to them has gone,” said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. As the strike badly hit various services, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung met a delegation of striking employees and requested them to withdraw the agitation. “We met the Lt Governor and apprised him of our demands. We requested him that Rs 5,000 crore is needed to clear the dues to the employees,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha. The Delhi Cabinet passed a resolution requesting Jung to direct the Delhi Development Authority to pay Rs 1,575 crore dues to the MCDs to help them pay salaries to their employees. PTI