Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung ordered the release of Rs.493 crore to the municipal corporations in the national capital to facilitate payment of salaries to sanitation workers who have not been paid for the past two months here on Friday.

Jung earlier met the mayors and commissioners of the three municipal corporations in Delhi and appealed to them to convince the sanitation workers to end their ongoing agitation. Employees of Delhi's municipal corporations have struck work to protest against the non-payment of salaries for April and May. As a result, non-collection of garbage has led to unhygienic conditions with garbage strewn across roads, especially in east Delhi.

"The lt. governor met all the three mayors and commissioners of the municipal corporations today. He informed them that the government of Delhi would be releasing Rs.493 crore today (Friday)," an official statement from the LG House later said. The workers from East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) have in the past strewn garbage in Mayur Vihar and Patparganj areas to protest over non-payment of salaries.

Garbage piled up at dumps and overflowing onto the roads has caused inconvenience to residents and commuters alike. The EDMC has failed to pay salaries to its around 11,000 sanitation workers due to what it calls a financial crunch. "While appreciating the pain that the safai karamcharies (sanitation workers) have gone through for lack of payment of salaries, he appeals to them that despite the hardships they have faced, they should call off the strike. This will be in the greater interest of the citizens of this great city that belongs to all of us," the statement from LG House said.

On June 9, the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi released Rs.500 crore to clear the salary arrears of municipal corporation employees. Sanitation workers from East and North municipal corporations have been on strike to protest the non-payment of salaries.

– (IANS)