Delhi MCD crisis resolved - Here are top 10 developments

Delhi: The Delhi government will extend a loan of Rs 551 crore to two civic bodies, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday and alleged a situation was being created through the ongoing municipal strike to prepare grounds for imposition of central rule in the national capital.

Following are 10 developments related to the issue:

- Speaking from Bengaluru, where he is undergoing naturopathy treatment, Kejriwal alleged there were "massive scams" in three BJP-ruled municipal corporations and demanded a CBI inquiry into them. He said his government does not owe any money to the civic bodies. Besides a loan of Rs 551 crore, Kejriwal said Delhi Government is also releasing Rs 142 crore to the North Delhi Municipal corporation as sought by it by way of stamp duty last week.

- The decision to extend the loan was taken at a meeting between MCD commissioners and representatives of the Delhi Government. The amount has been given to enable the MCDs to pay salaries to the employees till January 31.

- Exuding confidence about winning next year's municipal polls, Kejriwal said situation in the MCDs is such that they should be dissolved and fresh elections be held immediately. He said joint front of 19 Unions of MCD Employees have called for dissolving the civic bodies and bringing them under Delhi Government.

- Demanding a CBI probe into the affairs of MCDs, Kejriwal said "If CBI could probe us then why not the MCDs. We had ordered inspection of accounts of the civic bodies but they refused to cooperate," as per PTI. Alleging graft, he said the East Delhi Municipal Corporation only collected Rs 12 crore as advertising revenue in the current fiscal.

- On BJP's demand for implementation of the recommendations of the Fourth Finance Commission, he said the Delhi Government would accept it only if the panel's recommendation for handing over the DDA is accepted by the Centre.

- Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds education and finance portfolios, said the government will divert the money from the capital expenditure of the education department, adding that due to this, they will have to defer some of infrastructure projects to the next financial year.

- The strike by the sanitation staff of municipal bodies demanding payment of dues entered the eighth day today, crippling the garbage disposal system. They have been joined by teachers, doctors, nurses and contractors of the civic bodies.

- The agitating MCD staff today 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.

- A demonstration will be held at the Civic Centre and effigies of AAP and BJP will be torched tomorrow. Besides, a protest will also be staged in Geeta Colony, said the strikers' leaders. 

- The Commissioners of the east and north Delhi municipal corporations appealed to the striking employees to call off their protest in the interest of people of the city and said they are in the process of getting funds for their salaries till January.

(With PTI inputs)