SDMC: Govt not giving funds to check vector-borne diseases

NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Wednesday passed a “Ninda Prastav” (criticism proposal) against the Delhi government for allegedly not releasing adequate funds to check dengue and chikungunya, as demanded by the corporation in two meetings with CM Arvind Kejriwal this year.

A Ninda Prastav is a proposal which is brought about to criticise any government or political party on a particular issue.

While moving the proposal, Congress councillor Abhishek Dutt alleged that the Delhi government had spent crores of rupees on advertisements of its campaign “Har Ravivar Dengue Par War” and was busy “taking credit” for controlling dengue cases this year but failed to acknowledge municipal workers’ efforts in controlling dengue in the city.

“In two meetings held in June and August this year the south MCD officials had demanded ₹52 crore from the Delhi government to control dengue, malaria and chikungunya, but only ₹15 crore was released. It is the municipal workers such as domestic breeding checkers (DBC) and contractual field workers (CFW) employees who work on the ground to control dengue, but there was no mention of them in the advertisements. The government is taking credit by doing no work,” Dutt alleged.

The SDMC also urged the government to clarify the “financial implications” for regularisation of DBC workers – daily wagers who check mosquito breeding in localities – and formulate recruitment rules so that their regularisation process could be started.

The DBC workers went on strike on Monday to press for their long pending demand of regularisation. The strike was called off the same evening after they were given assurances by municipal officials and political executives that their grievances will be addressed.

Spokespersons for the Delhi government and the Aam Aadmi Party refused to comment on the matter.