Metro protests

“We are trying to convince them to stop the strike and cooperate with the corporation so that the area remains neat and clean during the festival,” she said.

The cash-strapped agency is reeling from a huge budgetary deficit since the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2011. It has failed to pay salaries regularly, triggering six strikes in three years.

The civic crisis is often caught up in political stink. The three corporations are controlled by the BJP and the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government accuses rival party councilors of siphoning off funds meant for salaries. The BJP denies the charges.

The strike in January was called off after 11 days when the Delhi government released funds.

“We will meet the finance secretary on Wednesday and ask the Delhi government to release the amount and deduct it from the quarterly grant,” EDMC commissioner Ranbir Singh said.

According to him, the civic agency has started releasing salary to sanitation workers on its rolls, but additional funds will be needed to pay daily wage earners and other employees.

Singh had said on October 5 that he has asked the Delhi government to give ₹200 crore to pay salaries and bonuses before Diwali.

The festival of light falls on October 19 this year.