Ensure civic bodies comply with 'Swachh Bharat': HC to Centre

As sanitation workers struck work over non-payment of salaries, Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to ensure that civic agencies keep the national capital clean as per the 'Swachh Bharat' policy and directed the police to ensure there was no hindrance in garbage removal by the municipalities.
"Commissioner of Police (B S Bassi) to ensure that the garbage are removed from the roads in coordination with the Municipal Corporations," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.
Meanwhile, another bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said "the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign or policy has to be accepted and complied with by all. There is 'Swachh Bharat' cess also. Delhi is becoming a garbage dump. You (Centre) have to ensure these agencies work. Please do so. We want action."

The bench made the request noting that despite its orders to civic agencies to maintain three areas in Delhi as models of cleanliness, the areas "have showcased inefficiency" of the various authorities, including municipal corporations (MCDs), public works department (PWD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
The directions of the two benches of the high court came on a day when large number of municipal and sanitation workers went on strike to demand regular salaries and payment of arrears and staged protests in various parts of the capital.
The Centre told the bench of Justices Ahmed and Sachdeva that if the agencies were not complying with orders, the court may take appropriate action against the persons responsible.

The MCDs in their defence contended that their sweepers and other employees were on strike as they had not been paid salaries for last three months as no financial aid was coming from the Delhi government.

The Delhi government lawyer disputed the allegations of MCDs and sought time to seek instructions on the issue.
In another related matter, senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra told the court that the AAP government has released 100 per cent of the funds it was supposed to give to the MCDs.
He also said the corporations were not showing "financial prudence" as all three MCDs together have not collected from DDA outstanding property tax dues of about Rs 1576 crore.