MCD staff announce extension of strike

Employees of three Municipal Corporation of Delhi civic bodies announced the extension of their strike for an indefinite period over the non-payment of dues. The Aam Aadmi Party government termed the entire sequence of events “an indication towards a massive salary scam”.“It was a symbolic strike for three days but since no one from the government assured us that our demands would be considered, we have decided to boycott work for an indefinite time,” Sanjay Gehlot, president of the Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukta Morcha, said.“Today we will protest outside Delhi assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel’s home in Vivek Vihar (in east Delhi) and dump garbage there,” he said.Over 150,000 workers of three civic bodies had begun their three-day strike on Wednesday. Earlier in the day the striking employees dumped garbage outside the residence of Transport Minister Gopal Rai.“We will continue to dump garbage on roads till they (government) feel ashamed,” a protester said.The AAP government in a statement said that the three corporations have themselves admitted having received 100% of the non-plan funds - Rs892mn for North MCD, Rs465mn for East MCD and Rs830mn for South MCD for the current financial year.“It is clear that 90% of the non-planned allocation is for payment of salaries, then why have the MCD employees not been paid their salaries?” it asked.“The sequence of events indicates a massive salary scam in these corporations,” the statement added.Meanwhile, the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party wrote an open letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the financial crisis of the municipal corporations, with state unit chief Satish Upadhyay urging him to rise above party politics and discharge his responsibilities to the people of Delhi.