Kejriwal demands fresh polls to BJP-ruled civic bodies

Chief Minister Arvind Kerjriwal today demanded fresh polls to the BJP-ruled civic bodies, alleging total failure in their management as several areas in the city reeled under stench of uncollected garbage due to the strike by sanitation workers.
Coming down hard on the three municipal bodies, the Deputy Chief Minister alleged that striking sanitation workers were "instigated" to throw garbage in front of his residence and office.
Alleging financial bunglings and mismanagement, Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia launched a two-pronged attack on the three municipal corporations as workers' strike entered the second day leading to garbage pile up in areas across the city.

"Management of an organization, which can't pay salaries to employees, doesn't have right to continue. MCD should be dissolved. Hold fresh elections," Kejriwal, who is on a 10-day-long medical leave at Bengaluru, tweeted.
Addressing a press conference here, Sisodia slammed the office bearers of the civic bodies for engaging in "garbage" politics, claiming sanitation workers had been "instigated" to throw garbage in front of his official quarters.
"We paid them funds before time without even adjusting the loans amounting to around Rs 6,000 crore extended by us. Despite this the workers were being instigated to throw garbage in front of our houses and offices," Sisodia told reporters.

Sisodia reiterated ruling AAP's claim that Delhi government released the entire fund under the non-plan head to MCDs and "yet their employees are not being paid their salaries".

The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi
(MCD) was trifurcated into North, South and East corporations (NDMC, SDMC and EDMC) in 2012.
"Those who cannot run the municipal corporations, cannot pay salaries to the employees and fail to manage accounts need not hold their posts," Sisodia said, referring to the mayors and other elected office bearers of MCDs.
"I appeal to the Central government to dissolve the municipal corporations and hold elections. This team has failed to keep Delhi clean, pay salaries to employees and keep accounts.

"They have bungled the funds and when we order inquiry into it they do not allow it," Sisodia complained, referring to a two-member probe team formed by the government to look into accounts of the municipal corporations.
"The elected BJP leaders have failed to run the municipal corporations. There is no management of money, no utilisation certificates of funds given by Delhi government have been submitted, accounts show unspent balance under different heads yet we continued to release funds," he said.
Sisodia also claimed that the municipal corporations had "failed" to get tax dues amounting to Rs 1,250 crore purportedly owed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

Senior officials in the government are in touch with the mayors and commissioners of the municipal corporations as well as police so as to ensure that garbage collection does not get hit due to the strike, he added.
The Delhi High Court had yesterday 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.