Centre, Delhi get NGT notice over sanitation workers’ strike

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday sought to know from the Delhi government, Union Urban Development Ministry, the East DMC and striking sanitation workers' associations what steps are being taken to solve the problem.

The tribunal in its notice also asked these authorities about the steps taken to remove garbage from the streets in east Delhi.

Advocate Balendu Shekhar, who appeared for the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), told IANS that a bench headed by NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notice.

"In the notice, the NGT Chairman asked what steps all the authorities took to control the situation and remove garbage from the streets in various parts of east Delhi," Shekhar told IANS.

Shekhar on behalf of the East DMC requested the tribunal to intervene and permanently settle the issue of workers' salaries and dues.

According to East DMC officials, the huge difference between the civic body's expenditure and earning is main reason behind the problem, as the annual salaries and pensions total around Rs 1,600 crore while it generates revenue of only Rs 608 crore per annum.

The strike of sanitation workers who are protesting non-payment of their salaries for the past three months continued for the fifth day on Tuesday. A section of North DMC employees also went on strike over non-payment of salaries on Tuesday.

The Delhi government on Monday released Rs 119 crore to the East DMC but the agitating employees said they would call off the strike only after their salaries were credited into their bank accounts.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules all the three municipal corporations of Delhi, was doing politics over garbage in the city at the cost of health and lives of Delhi people.