Will release funds for EDMC workers' salaries: Sisodia

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said that his government has ordered the release of funds for Municipal Corporation of Delhi so that it can pay the salaries of its workers on time.

“We have directed our officials to release funds for MCD so that workers can get their salaries on time,” Sisodia was quoted as saying by ANI.

However, the AAP leader also raised doubts over utilisation of funds allocated by Centre to the MCD.

“Where did the funds allocated by Centre go, if MCD workers haven't received their salaries from three months,” Sisodia said.

A senior Delhi government official had yesterday said that the AAP government is planning to write to the Lt Governor to hand over the charge of EDMC to improve the financial condition of the civic body.

As per Section 490 of DMC (Delhi Municipal Corporation) Act 1957, Centre can hand over the administrative works of EDMC to Delhi government if the corporation is financially not viable and failing to fulfil its responsibility, the official claimed.

All three civic bodies are led by the BJP. The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated into three civic bodies in 2012. Besides EDMC, the other two are North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).

Blaming BJP for the financial crises in the municipal corporations, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 25 had also asked the civic bodies to hand over the charge to AAP government, claiming his "government would turn around the situation" in a year.

"Government can take charge of EDMC as per Section 490 of DMC Act 1957. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will write to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to hand over the charge of cash-strapped EDMC to it as the civic body has completely failed to fulfil its responsibility and pay salary of its staff.

"It will be first dissolved and thereafter we will take over the civic body," he claimed.

(With PTI inputs)