Despite the merger of bank accounts and finances of the three erstwhile municipal corporations on Friday, delay in salary payments will continue, said a senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi official on Saturday.
The official said this is due to liabilities of the erstwhile corporations being merged in the process. He said among the liabilities, that are close to ₹16,000 crore, the erstwhile North and East Corporations had the largest chunk.
Maintaining parity
“Parity will have to be maintained in the salaries for all employees, now that it is part of a single civic body. However, delay in salary payments has already started as we are yet to receive it for the month of May,” said the senior official.
Prior to the unification of the three corporations, while salaries of employees under the South Corporation were up to date, the North and the East Corporation employees had remained unpaid for two and five months respectively.
In late May, the MCD released salaries for one month, the amount for which was paid through a portion of the pending fund (₹432.84 crore), received from the Delhi government, the senior official said.
The opening of new bank accounts had been directed by Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti. The accounts of the erstwhile corporations will be active till Sunday to process payments in the pipeline, the MCD said.
Receive complaints
Meanwhile, former councillors – from the BJP and AAP – who served at the erstwhile corporations have said that they continue to receive complaints from employees over non-payment of salaries, while they are unable to address the grievances.
“We worked really hard to try and pay the salaries on time, but now that our term has expired, we have no clue as to what is happening. Whoever I meet from the civic body says that they are yet to receive their salaries,” said Jogi Ram Jain (BJP), former Standing Committee chairman at the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
Vikas Goel (AAP), who was the former Leader of the Opposition at the North Corporation, echoed a similar view while stating that various employee unions and workers have approached him seeking help for the same.
Possibility of strikes
A.P. Khan, convener of the Confederation of Municipal Corporation of Delhi Employees Union (CMCDEU), said that major strikes are a possibility in the coming months as employees have become frustrated in the wait for their dues.
He added that civic body officials have made it difficult for employees to protest by issuing strict orders on being absent, while citing an order from MCD’s Civil Lines Zone.
“The order says that employees will be suspended in case they remain absent for more than three days and salary will also be deducted without permission. How does the MCD expect employees to stay mum and work regularly when they don’t pay the salaries on time? Such orders are a way of maintaining pressure on employees so that they don’t go on strike,” said Mr. Khan.
