Govt approves Rs 442.78 cr fund for sanitation workers

In a major relief to the employees working with the three municipal corporations of Delhi, the AAP government on Thursday approved an additional fund of Rs 442.78 crore for payments to sanitation workers. The move will put an end to the long pending demands of the workers.

"Approving the additional funds, the Cabinet said that these should be used only to make payments to safai karamcharis, including their salaries," the government said in a statement.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. An official said the funds had been released for the betterment of sanitation workers who had complained of not getting salaries and other payments from their respective corporations.

The move comes a day after a delegation of sanitation workers under the aegis of 'Swachhta Karamchari Union' met Kejriwal and apprised him of the financial problems being faced by sanitation workers of MCDs. The chief minister expressed surprise that the safai karamcharis were facing problems despite the government paying the MCDs much more than what was given in the preceding years.

The delegation was informed that in 2013-14 the East Municipal Corporation got Rs 287.72 crore compared to Rs 948 crore in 2016-17.

"Similarly, the North Municipal Corporation received Rs 808.77 crore in 2013-14 compared to Rs 1,318.26 crore in 2016-17," the government statement added.

PAYMENT TO CIVIC BODIES

East Municipal Corporation 

Rs 287.72 crore (2013-14) 
Rs 948 crore (2016-17) 

North Municipal Corporation 

Rs 808.77 crore (2013-14) 
Rs 1318.26 crore (2016-17)