SDMC warns of stir outside Delhi CM's house if funds not released

NEW DELHI: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) mayor has announced that councillors will sit on strike outside chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's house if pending funds weren't released in a week.
Mayor Sunita Kangara said with the monsoon having arrived in the city, the anti-malaria mechanism was woefully short of funds. "Domestic breeding checkers have not been paid for last three months, and stock for fumigant and other medicines is also running low.Cases of mosquito-borne diseases have gone down in the last three years, but now we are getting starved of our resources," Kangara said.
She added, "The corporation demanded Rs 49 crore for this purpose and Rs 34.6 crore has been allocated, but it is a matter of great concern that only Rs 2.15 crore has been released".
Leader of house Kamaljeet Sehrawat said an amount of Rs 2.75 crore was required to release salaries of 1,175 breeding checkers and 734 field workers. "South corporation is going to release salaries for one month with great difficulty. They have threatened to go on strike in case their salaries are not released," he said. Kangara said the civic body had requested the Delhi health minister for an appointment to discuss the issue but there was no response.
North Delhi mayor Avtar Singh met LG Anil Baijal to request him to issue directions to the Delhi government for releasing funds to north corporation that has been pending since before MCD was trifurcated. Singh said that post trifurcation, North corporation has been facing unprecedented financial crisis.