AAP attacks MCDs on salary dues, new taxes

NEW DELHI:  The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Wednesday staged a protest inside the MCD Civic Centre against the BJPruled municipal corporations for not paying salaries to employees on time and suspending AAP councillors from the House. “Because of the BJP rule in MCD for the last many years, Delhi is one of the dirtiest cities in the country.

Three big hills of garbage have become infamous landmarks of the national capital. MCD employees have not got their salaries for the last 8 months because of the BJP. When AAP members took up these issues in the House they were suspended. It’s an attempt to stifle our voice,” said AAP MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak.

The BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has recently decided to launch ‘compensatory regulatory charges’ and also introduce charges on any program held at the vacant plots, said the AAP leader. Pathak termed these charges ‘inhuman’ keeping in mind the financial problems being faced by people due to coronavirus pandemic and other issues.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party has become blinded by power. Yesterday, when the AAP leaders raised such questions, its councillors were suspended. I want to request the BJP not to stoop down to this level during the time of the pandemic. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta and the mayors must intervene and rollback such inhuman decisions to hike these taxes,” added Pathak.

The SDMC has decided to put a tax on the vacant plots too. If the plot is of 500 sqm then the SDMC will charge Rs 15,000 per programme. If the area is of 500- 1000 sqm then Rs 25,000 would be charged and for 1000-5000 sqm the charge would be Rs 50,000 followed by Rs 1 lakh for a bigger area, according to the AAP. However, SDMC’s proposal was rejected by the Standing Committee later.