Delhi sanitation workers raise a stink outside CM's residence

Garbage continued to pile up in parts of Delhi amid ongoing strike by municipal sanitation workers in New Delhi, even as a section of them protested in front of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence ahead of his meeting with them at the Ramlila Maidan on Monday evening.

Several sanitation workers from east and north corporations have been on strike intermittently to protest "non payment of salary" for the last few months.

Workers from East Delhi Municipal Corporation littered garbage in Mayur Vihar and Patparganj areas to express their anger over the issue, causing discomfort to local residents.

All three municipal corporations are led by BJP and, the civic bodies have been at loggerheads with the AAP government over funds release issue, including for sanitation work.

Kejriwal is meeting sanitation workers at a rally in Ramlila Maidan, where senior officials of the three corporations are also said to attend.

"Yes, many of the workers are angry with the AAP government. Since, it has not been releasing the global shares and municipal reform funds due to the civic bodies, which could have been used for paying salaries," a senior official of the north corporation said.

"We are expecting some announcements from the Delhi government today in this regard," he added.

Meanwhile, local residents in East Delhi complained about piling garbage in their neighbourhood.

"Before elections Kejriwal had said that he would take responsibility for people's concerns and now you see this garbage. The situation will not improve unless his government takes concrete steps, but it has failed to do so far," a local resident alleged.

When told that corporations were under BJP, he said, "but the city government is still under Kejriwal, so he must take some initiative."

Both NDMC and EDMC have been suffering financial losses and are under huge debt.

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