New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced a loan of Rs 551 crore for payment of salaries to agitating workers of two municipal corporations, but failed to end the strike.
The agitating MCD staff refused to call off their strike even as the mayors of the north and east Delhi municipal corporations said they will accept the loan extended by the AAP government as a grant only. The mayors of north and east Delhi said they will accept Rs 551 crore as a "grant" only because Delhi government is yet to pay Rs 3,000 crore to the municipal corporations under the Third Delhi Finance Commission.
Employees of Delhi's three civic bodies - North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation - have been protesting the non-payment of salaries for the past few months, and directing their ire at both the Delhi and central governments for the last eight days.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also announced that the North Delhi Municipal Corporation will also be paid Rs 142 crore against the stamp duty bill
Delhi BJP has accused the AAP government of trying to take "advantage" of the employees' strike by extending loan instead of providing funds to municipal corporations.
