East Delhi Mayor Neema Bhagat will lead a protest, titled ‘Run For Funds,’ against the Delhi government on Thursday over delay in payment of funds to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), which has stalled projects and payment of salaries and arrears to employees.
Ms. Bhagat said the protest, which will start from Madhuban Chowk near Nirman Vihar metro station till the Delhi Secretariat, will demand the ₹9,278 crore the Delhi government owes the civic body as per the recommendations of the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission. All BJP councillors from east Delhi will participate in the march.
Financial crisis
Ms. Bhagat said the EDMC has been going through major financial crisis and it is unfortunate that the corporation has not been able to make timely payment of salaries and pensions. She added that arrears have not been given to the corporation staff for many years and that the civic body does not have the funds for carrying out development work.
“From the attitude of the Delhi government it seems like they have no interest in the development of east Delhi. Our situation may get better than the South Delhi Municipal Corporation [SDMC], which is considered the wealthiest of the three municipalities, if the Delhi government gives our share of ₹9,278 crore,” she added.
“This is not a politically motivated move. We should keep our political differences aside and work for the people of the city. We are not begging them for money. We are asking for what they owe us,” she said.
The financial condition of the EDMC is the worst among the three municipalities. Annually, the EDMC earns ₹600 crore under the non-plan head, of which ₹175 crore comes from property tax. Of these, at least ₹350 crore goes into payment of salaries.
The civic body has already seen two strikes by sanitation workers over non-payment of dues in the eight-month tenure of the new team led by the BJP.
