Garbage politics: Arvind Kejriwal trains guns on BJP

New Delhi: The fourth day of the indefinite strike by sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday left the trans-Yamuna region reeling under a garbage crisis.

However, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal came down heavily on the BJP and accused the MCD councillors of pocketing funds meant to pay salaries to the workers.

“BJP is playing dirty politics in Delhi. Their councillors siphoned (off) funds meant for salaries of MCD employees and then throw garbage on Delhi roads,” Mr Kejriwal tweeted. The chief minister’s outburst came a day after the government announced an additional amount of Rs 119 crore for the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). However, the unions of the agitating workers described the amount as “too little” by the government.

The sanitation workers also met deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and thanked him for releasing the money for the payment of their salaries.

Mr Sisodia pointed out that ever since the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power, it released Rs 702 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 605 in 2016-17 for the payment of salaries to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation itself.

“However, there are no checks and balances and nobody knows how this money is being spent. MCDs are harassing their workers,” Mr Sisodia said.

Mr Sisodia had assured the sanitation workers to help them in all possible way. Mr Sisodia also promised to provide more financial help to sanitation workers. During the meet, president of the sanitation workers’ association, Santlal Chawaria said that the staff would return to work as soon as they were paid.