Coronavirus: Delhi demands Rs 5,000 crore from Centre to pay salaries

AAP-led Delhi government has sought Rs 5,000 crore immediate assistance from the Centre to pay salaries to its employees, saying its revenue has dwindled to around Rs 1,735 crore per month.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Sunday that he shot off a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this regard outlining the problems faced by the Delhi government on the financial front.

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He said Delhi government requires Rs 3,500 crore per month for paying salaries and office expenses but its revenue collection has shrunk to around Rs 1,735 crore per month in the past two months.

"The COVID-19 lockdown has an impact on the economic situation across the country and it has huge impact on the revenue of Delhi. We did a review of revenue collection. In the past two months, the GST collection has been only Rs 500 crore each month. The total revenue, including from other sources, has been Rs 1,735 crore (in two months). For two months, you need at least Rs 7,000 crore for paying salaries and running offices," he said.

Sisodia said Delhi also did not get anything from the disaster relief fund that was given to other states.

"The biggest issue what we are facing now is how to pay salaries to our COVID-19 frontline workers. Delhi government is also not getting any other assistance from the Centre. I have demanded in a letter to the Finance Minister to immediately release Rs 5,000 crore to Delhi," he said.