Aam Aadmi Party demands immediate disbursal of salaries to MCD employees

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party will gherao Civic Center tomorrow to protest against the BJP-ruled MCD's non-payment of salaries to employees. AAP's North MCD Leader of Opposition Vikas Goel said that BJP is hitting new lows each day; MCD employees have not received their salary for three months. Aam Aadmi Party demands immediate disbursal of salaries to MCD employees. 

Vikas Goel said that if MCD can't pay its employees' salaries then the BJP leaders should resign. AAP's South MCD Leader of Opposition Prem Chauhan said that South MCD's revenue is the highest among all the three corporations, yet its employees are not getting their salary. Aam Aadmi Party will gherao BJP outside Civic Center tomorrow at 11 am.

Addressing the state of MCD employees at the hands of the BJP-led MCD, Leader of Opposition for North MCD Vikas Goel said, “The festival season is upon us. Two days later we have Dhanteras, then Diwali, followed by Bhai Duj, Govardhan Puja, Chhat Puja. And it’s been our country’s long-standing tradition during the Diwali season, that from small shopkeepers to business tycoons —  everyone gives their employees a Diwali bonus or sweets, to help them have a peaceful festive season. However, the BJP-ruled MCD practises the opposite. Bonus and sweets are a far fetched dream, for even the deserved salaries of the employees are not released on time. For two-three months, the hard-earned money that they make with their blood sweat and tears is kept from them by the BJP."

"Be it Safai Karamcharis, DBC Karamcharis, teachers, nurses, doctors -- all of MCD’s working staff suffers. Even the retired MCD employees, who have dedicated their entire lives working for the MCD, haven’t received their pension money in two to three months now. How will these people celebrate Diwali? On one hand, BJP politicians are celebrating Diwali with great enthusiasm, while on the other, MCD’s employees feel compelled to strike and protest just so that they can get the money they are due. It seems as if BJP has no humanity or morality left in its soul," said Vikas Goel.

"I ask the BJP politicians that when lakhs of your own employees are starving, how can you enjoy your Diwali sweets? How can you light diyas when they are suffering? This is the real face of the BJP. Today the Aam Aadmi Party demands from the BJP an immediate release of the salaries due to the MCD employees and the pension due to retired staff, along with relevant bonuses. And if you do not act on this soon, then you have no right to remain in power at the MCD. We demand a prompt resignation. You have no right to gamble with the lives of so many people. To support and help amplify the voices of these karamcharis, all of AAP’s council members and workers will hold a strike at the Civic Center tomorrow. Our demand is simple: either give the salaries or your resignation,” he added.

Leader of Opposition for South Delhi Municipal Corporation Prem Chauhan added, “As you all know that South MCD is considered to be the most revenue-generating part of the NCT, and the most able one when money is in question. Despite this, the MCD releases its employees’ salaries over a month late every time. The BJP needs to understand that during the Covid period, many families have lost their small businesses and other sources of income. The one remaining source was a family member working at the MCD for a timely inflow of money to run a household. Even here, however, the employee suffers due to the laggard ways of the BJP. Moreover, we have found out that 586 contractual teachers, who were denied salaries and work by the MCD, visited the Civic Center some 112 times to fight for their rights."

"The Mayor gave time, made them wait for six-eight hours every time and eventually did not help at all. After this, the Delhi Government stepped in, gave them jobs, released their salaries and now they are all employed persons. Similarly, people working contract based jobs in the South MCD are prone to BJP’s whims where the MCD seems to be looking for ways to sack them, deny them their salaries as well. So it is both a request and warning to the BJP-led MCD from me that such despicable behaviour of yours will not be tolerated, and that all three MCD’s leaders of the opposition and our councillors are holding a protest tomorrow to stand with the karamcharis against your misgovernance. The Aam Aadmi Party unwaveringly supports the karamchari that works for the people of Delhi without worrying about Corona or Dengue, and they have no need to worry," he added.

The Leader of Opposition for East Delhi Municipal Corporation Manoj Tyagi further said, “The way we clean our homes for the Diwali season, that way all of MCD’s sanitation workers have been working tirelessly to clean all of Delhi for the past 10 days. But it is so shameful, that despite all the toiling, they don’t receive their salaries; that retired employees of the MCD who gave years of their life to keep the MCD up and running, have not received their pension even during the festive season; those DBC karamcharis, who have been working on a contract basis for over 20-25 years, are still desperately waiting to be regularised. Bonuses are now a dream for the employees for no bonuses have been given to the employees in the last 2 years in all of Delhi."

"AAP workers and councillors are hence doing their best to raise voices for the rights of these karamcharis in both the streets and the House proceedings. But the BJP-led MCD did not even bat an eye while sacking karamcharis, aayas, truck drivers, contractual staff at schools, and others during the hard times of the pandemic. During this time, when most state governments were (?), Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal was requesting private business owners and shopkeepers to not fire their employees to help them run their household during the pressing times. But even in times of need, BJP was busy in sacking its employees left right and center," said Manoj Tyagi. 

Tyagi added, "Today, the long-overdue regularisation matter has also become an election gimmick for the BJP. It is extremely condemnable that the diverse families of Delhi are not getting the money to celebrate their festivals well. We stand with each and every MCD employee who has given their lives in bringing about progress in the city, in maintaining its health and sanitation. We warn the BJP that till tomorrow, 1st November by 10:00 AM - you either release the salaries and bonuses of your employees, otherwise at 11:00 AM all of AAP’s council members and workers will go on strike and echo these voices throughout the city. We will not stop until you fulfil our very just demands.”