New Delhi: Amid mess created in Delhi over non-payment of salaries to MCD workers, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday interacted with the sanitation workers.
Rahul met the distressed 'safaikarmacahris' at East Delhi MCD office. Delhi Congress Committee president Ajay Maken also accompanied the party vice president during his interaction with the striking staff.
The sanitation workers have not been given salaries for the last three months. Several of them from the East and North Corporations have been on strike intermittently to protest the non-payment of salaries.
Assuring the workers that they were now his "responsibility", the Congress vice president interacted with the striking 'safai karamcharis' of East Delhi Municipal Corporation at Patparganj, where its office is located, and said he was ready to join their dharna.
The workers are on a strike since June 2 to protest against non-payment salary dues, leading to piling of garbage on streets which is causing inconvenience to residents.
"I was talking to the women workers and they told me that tall promises have been made to them but nothing has changed and they are where they were before," Rahul said addressing the protesters.
"You go to the Delhi Government, it says Centre is responsible. You go to the Centre, it says Delhi Government is responsible.
"These are all excuses and you will not get anything till you show your strength. And I want to make it clear that I will take your responsibility.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which controls all the three municipal corporations in the city, has accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of not releasing the money to pay the salaries of the MCD employees.
The AAP, however, says it is the outcome of mishandling of finances by the corporations.
Earlier this week, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that Rs 500 crore will be released to the capital's civic bodies to clear salary arrears of its municipal corporations' employees.
Kejriwal on Tuesday met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and sought Rs 3,000 crore from the Centre to pay pending salaries of sanitation workers, doctors and teachers of municipal corporations in the city.
In a shocking image of Delhi, rotting garbage can be seen scattered on the roads of the national capital these days.
Workers from East Delhi corporation have spread in many parts of the national capital.
The residents of Delhi are not just facing huge traffic jams due to heaps of garbage lying on the roads, but are also facing a harrowing time due to stink in the air.
