Sanitation

“Workers will get regular salaries and pending arrears, as soon as funds are released by the Delhi Government,” he said.

A senior EDMC official familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the new order issued by the commissioner has a clause on “availability of funds” being a pre-requisite for regularisation of contractual workers. “Which means besides availability of vacant seats, regularisation of contractual workers will also depend upon the availability of funds,” he added.

The civic agency has been financially strapped since its formation in 2012 and its annual deficit has risen to ₹3,500 crore. The municipality has been unable to pay salaries to its staff for two to three months and also unable to initiate new development work.

The senior EDMC official cited above said that major markets and areas with heavy footfalls will be given priority in the clean-up that follows . “It will take at least 8-10 days to clean internal roads and lift garbage from all residential neighbourhoods,” he said.

“Since the festive season has already begun, we will work day and night to lift the garbage from the roads. Roads will be swept during daytime and loaders will lift garbage even during the night,” the mayor claimed.

Last week, sanitation workers protested outside Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence to press their demands. Soon after the protest, Kejriwal announced the release of ₹350 crore for the east civic body, meant for payment of sanitation workers’ salaries.