Waste back in Delhi, staff trash E Corporation

NEW DELHI: The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be failing in the national capital even though all the three municipal corporations are led by BJP. Even though East Delhi Municipal Corporation cleared the litter off the streets on Sunday night after salaries of sanitation workers were paid off, the garbage was back on Monday leading to traffic jams.This has proven that the issue is not just about delayed salaries.
The heaps of garbage on all the arterial roads seemed to have been dumped by loaders and auto-tippers by the disgruntled sanitation workers. The workers are now demanding regular jobs, cashless mediclaim scheme and arrears in the form of regularization money and increments.
On Monday, few workers even staged a dharna. Although police removed them within an hour, traffic continued to crawl on Patparganj Road, Vikas Marg, IP Extension Road, Mayur Vihar, Anand Vihar, Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg and NH-24 till much later.
"We cleared the salaries till February on Saturday. The safai karamcharis are now demanding regularization and increments," said Amit Yadav, commissioner, East corporation. Officials said though salaries for January were released late and for February disbursed on Saturday, pay for March will only be due on Tuesday.
Sanitation workers confirmed that it’s not just a month’s salary. It’s more about consistent delays, lack of regular jobs and absence of cashless mediclaim. The union is also demanding that all contractual employees, around 18,000, should be regularized. "At present, we have to pay the hospital and claim the money. It becomes difficult for us to manage our lives due to delays in reimbursements. We will keep protesting and garbage will not be removed till our demands are met," said Rajinder Mewati, president, Safai Karamchari Association.
The commissioner met officials on Monday afternoon to discuss the issue and agreed to the cashless mediclaim demand. "The premium will be more, but we will pay the insurance company," said Yadav.
Congress leaders in the corporation are blaming the NDA government for the mess. "The Centre can provide help, but it isn’t," said Varyam Kaur, leader of Opposition.
Meanwhile, even as Rs 87.5 crore have been given as salary to safai karamcharis, the class II, II and III employees remain unpaid as the corporation is running in losses of over Rs 1,600 crore. The teachers’ association has also threatened to go on strike from April.