Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is not going to kick off: Delhi High Court rebukes MCD

The Delhi High on Wednesday rapped the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for "not doing their job" while observing that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is not going to kick off in this manner.

A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul also directed the Director of Department of Environment Management Services (DEMS) to be present on December 8 and inform the court about the status of safai karamcharis. "Municipal Corporations are not doing their job. Safai karamcharis should carry out the work entrusted to them and should not become political agents. If they are not doing their work, then why are they employed?

"If there is safai karamchari posted in every municipal zone, then why there is no cleanliness? Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is not going to kick off in this manner," the bench said. During the hearing, the counsel for MCD submitted a status report indicating that there were over 50,000 karamcharis employed in each of the corporations. He also informed the court that a biometric attendance system was in place to ensure that they are present on their duty.

"Safai karamcharis take it to be nine-to-five job. Have you ever been to a private organisation, employees are deployed in cleaning all the time. Municipal Magistrates are supposed to check and monitor the cleaning done by them," the bench added. After hearing the submissions of MCD, the high court asked the petitioner to file his reply by the next date of hearing.