North MCD budget: No fix for unpaid salaries, focus on AYUSH & EV infra
New Delhi: Despite constantly struggling to pay salaries to employees, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) failed to discuss long-term solutions in its budget for FY 2022-23. The civic body has been struggling to sustain itself for a few years now, various staffers have complained and protested against the continuous delays in salaries but the finalised budget does not offer any solutions.
Additionally, the civic body has rejected all property tax hikes suggested by North MCD commissioner Sanjay Goyal in his proposed budget speech in November 2021. The civic body officials have explained that they have not increased any taxes in the last 5 years and do not plan to do even now to ensure no citizens are burdened. However, the need for revenue remains persistent. North MCD Leader of the House, Chhail Bihari Goswami's budget speech skipped solutions for teachers, doctors, paramedics, nurses, safai karamcharis, etc who have faced constant delays in salary payments and other pending dues and often resort to protesting to get their demands heard.
When asked, the leader said, "We are working under difficult conditions and everyone can see that we have to stop our employees from going on strike and they listen to us as well. Even our employees know who is at fault, they know we are working to make things better. You are seeing that we have come up with various revenue-generating schemes and as soon as we can we will pay salaries."
Goswami explained during his budget speech on Friday that the civic body is making effort to ensure citizens receive the best services and announced plans to open an AYUSH college in Haiderpur Hospital, in addition to starting a 'Nakshatra Vatika' in parks to raise awareness about AYUSH.
Moreover, the LoH also said they want to open a dog park in each of the 104 wards. Further, the North MCD has chosen to focus on electric vehicles, announcing that 140 locations for EV charging stations had been identified. A new scheme has also been introduced to set up a mobile e-cart Food Van.
During his speech, the LoH largely blamed the Delhi government for the civic body's dismal financial state, claiming that Rs 328 crore funding for it was cut.
Reacting to the final budget, AAP leader and NDMC leader of opposition Vikas Goel said, "The Leader of the House began chanting the same old false melody that the Delhi government should release the Corporation's outstanding funds. The issue of South MCD not paying its rent to the North MCD for the past several years also came up in the House. That means the South MCD has a debt of Rs 2,833 crore. So he brazenly said it, but he didn't think it was appropriate to explain why. I don't understand why, if he wants to get money from the Delhi government, he can't get it from his own South MCD."
