New Delhi:
A day after dumping garbage outside Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s residence, scores of striking municipal sanitation workers today targeted Transport Minister Gopal Rai, demanding “immediate” release of funds for their salary.
A group of workers and municipal corporation employees staged a protest outside Rai’s office in Babarpur in east Delhi and dumped garbage there while another group, under the banner of United Front of MCD Employees, put garbage outside his residence in Civil Lines.
“We demand Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to pay our salary first and later settle scores with the municipal corporations,” Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha, said.
He said that the protests will be stepped up and workers will hold a demonstration at Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel’s residence in Vivek Vihar if their demands were not met.
The union leader said the workers also blocked the road leading to a traffic jam at Apsara border.
The striking workers had yesterday dumped garbage outside the office and residence of Sisodia.
Sisodia had later accused BJP leaders of the three municipal corporations of “instigating” the workers to throw garbage outside the ministers’ residences and offices.
In North Delhi, the zonal offices at Karol Bagh, Civil Lines and Rohini were locked down by the striking employees and workers.
The employees at headquarters of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) at Civic Centre also boycotted work.
Demanding regular salaries, payment of long pending arrears, regularisation of contract based workers, health cards and unification of three municipal corporations, the workers launched the strike on January 27.
