New Delhi [India] : Councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party held a protest on Monday at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi headquarters regarding the non-payment of salaries to MCD employees. Vikas Goel, Leader of Opposition in North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) said, “BJP is ruling MCD for the past 15 years and they are exploiting workers for the last 15 years. They are making false promises. In 2018, sanitisation workers protested and after that their State president and MPs came to them and made them drink juice and said they will agree to their demands. They had said that they will get bonuses, salaries on time but nothing happened till now.” “Last year, also a protest took place where their mayor promised that arrears will be given to them, salaries will be given on time but nothing happened. This time, they (BJP) have crossed all the boundaries. During the festive season, they are not giving even their salaries. The salaries have not been given to the workers for the past three months. When they have not been given salaries, how are they going to celebrate the festival? The workers who have retired, who have given their entire life to MCD rely on the pension. They haven’t got their pension,” he added. Goel further slammed BJP-run MCD and said that BJP leaders are attending programs of Diwali Milan while MCD workers are forced to hold protests. “Our demand from BJP is to give salary to the workers, pension and bonus or else they don’t have a moral right to be in power. They must resign. They have no right to play with the lives of lakhs of people. Till the time justice is not being given to workers, the protest will continue,” Goel added. Manoj Tyagi, LoP, East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) said, “In the last municipal election, Manoj Tiwari had said in rallies that he won’t let municipal corporation run out of money. He had said there will be no shortage of salaries or bonuses. But today, when there is Diwali, which is Hindus biggest festival, where these workers were to be given sweets, they are not even given salaries. This is very shameful. We are with the workers. If workers will not receive their salaries, till then all three MCDs councillors will be sitting here. Either BJP resigns and move away from power, or give workers their salaries.” Prem Chauhan, Leader of Opposition in SDMC said, “It is so saddening that workers have to protest during the time of festivals. Despite not getting salaries for the last three months, workers are continuously working. Still, they are not being paid. AAP will protest here in favour of the workers, till workers won’t get their salaries.”
