AAP leaders, civic workers clash

With AAP MLAs undertaking cleanliness drive in their respective constituencies on Sunday, clashes broke out between the city government’s task force and the municipal sanitation workers, whose strike entered the fifth day.

While sanitation workers have decided to meet Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday to overcome the impasse, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Ravinder Gupta said the civic agency has spent Rs 1,995 crore for “employee-related expenditure” so far in 2015-16 financial year and it has received only Rs 890 crore from the city government under non-planned heads.

Municipal employees, including safai karamcharis, teachers and engineers, have been on a strike since Wednesday last. Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff joined the indefinite strike on Saturday by discharging stable patients and not examining patients at OPDs.

The city saw less demonstrations by the employees on Sunday. However, workers’ unions were preparing a strategy to increase pressure on the city government to release funds for salaries.

“Like we said earlier, we are not going to budge this time. Starting tomorrow (Monday), we are going to take out a huge demonstration against Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra. We won’t let him come out of his house,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha, an umbrella organisation of about 28 employees’ unions. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he supports the MCD employees.