Delhi govt issues Rs 1,051 crores to municipal corporations to pay employees

Following months-long demands by employees, the Delhi government on Saturday allocated Rs 1,051 crores to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (Rs 366.9 crore), North MCD (Rs 432.8 crore) and South MCD (Rs 251.6 crore) to pay salaries to their employees and medical staffs working amidst the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sanitation staff and medical staff members, including doctors in healthcare centres operated by the civic bodies, had their salaries pending despite working through the pandemic.

"It has come to our notice that MCDs, due to incompetence and corruption, have not been distributing salaries to employees in the midst of a pandemic. It shows MCDs in a very poor light if they are unable to even pay salaries to their medical staff, doctors and nurses who are putting their lives in danger to save lives in these unprecedented times," said Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

"Delhi government has issued assistance of Rs 1,051 crore for the MCDs which can effectively disburse salaries to its employees who have not been able to receive it until now," Sisodia said. "We hope that MCDs leadership will guarantee this assistance is not used for any other activities, not diverted in any way, but used only to pay salaries of MCD employees involved in Covid-19 duty," he added.