The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to ensure that garbage dumped on the roadside in the trans-Yamuna area by striking workers of the municipal body is cleared.
The direction came from a Bench of Justices Indira Bannerjee and Anil Kumar Chawla on a PIL alleging that garbage has been dumped on the roads by the striking workers of the EDMC and it was difficult to even drive vehicles let alone walk.
‘Respond by March 1’
The court also issued notices to the corporation and the Delhi government seeking their response by March 1 on the petition, which alleges that the municipal workers were protesting as they have not been paid their salary.
The corporation, however, said that salaries for the last two months were paid on Monday and the strike had been called off.
Advocate Sugrive Dubey, appearing for petitioner Salek Chand Jain, opposed the contention of the corporation and said only a small group had called off the strike and several workers were still abstaining from work. Mr. Jain also alleged that the corporation has not paid salary to all the workers.
‘Funds already released’
The Delhi government, meanwhile, told the court that it has already released ₹605 crore for payment of corporation workers’ salaries till March 2017.
Rahul Mehra, standing counsel of the Delhi government, said the administration has paid more than what was due and now the EDMC has to explain why the people have been made to suffer when the funds were already released.
Mr. Mehra also said that in the last two years, the Delhi government has released more funds than was done by the previous dispensation.
The petitioner also claimed that the EDMC has committed contempt of court by disobeying the High Court’s orders that salaries to all its employees, including sanitation workers, should be paid by the 7th of every month. — PTI
