Strike by sanitation staff in east Delhi enters ninth day

NEW DELHI : Garbage piled up as a strike by sanitation employees of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) entered the ninth day on Thursday.

The agitating employees are not picking up garbage from neighbourhoods to protest the non-payment of salaries and pending arrears. EDMC mayor Bipin Bihari blamed the AAP government for the mess and said the employees could not be paid because the Delhi government did not release funds.

The sanitation employees are demanding regular payment of salaries, clearance of dues and lash Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Trilok regularisation of sanitation Puri, Kalyan Puri, Geeta Colony workers who have been inducted and Shahdara. on a temporary basis till 2017. EDMC mayor Bipin Bihari

The president of MCD Swachblamed the AAP government for hata Karmchari Union, Sanjay the strike and said the corporaGahlot, said the sanitation worktion would regularly pay as soon ers would not return to work as it receives funds. “The corpountil they get a permanent soluration is not able to pay its tion to the crisis. employees and workers since it

“Today (Thursday) again we has not received any funds from have met the EDMC mayor but the Delhi government. I appeal the meeting was not fruitful as the CM to release all the funds of this time we want a final solution the corporation,” Bihari said. to our problems. There are saniBihari said he had directed the tation workers who have not been EDMC officials to prepare a list of paid their salaries for the last temporary workers and start the eight months,” Gahlot said. process of regularisation.

The areas worst affected by the The Delhi government spokesstrike include Dharampura, Kai- person did not comment.