Poll over, AAP playing politics with people: Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay

NEW DELHI: State BJP chief Satish Upadhyay attacked the AAP government on Tuesday for giving conditional loans to the east and north corporations.

"Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is intentionally trying to paralyse the functioning of the corporations ahead of the 2017 municipal polls. The government is diluting the issue by putting several conditions," said Upadhyay.

In its letter to the corporations laying down conditions for the Rs 550-crore loan, the government has said, "Safai karamcharis and beldars engaged on temporary basis will be discontinued in a phased manner within a year."

Calling it an anti-Dalit move, Upadhyay asked, "What kind of politics is this? Why is the AAP government targeting these people from the Valmiki community?" Neither of the corporations will accept any condition, said Ravinder Gupta, mayor of North Corporation. "The loan will be considered as loan under the third Delhi Finance Commission and not a single paisa would be returned," he added.


Referring to AAP's poll pledge of making contractual employees permanent, Upadhyay said promises were made only to attract voters.

The corporations have around 63,000 sanitation staff, out of which 16,500 are contractual. The erstwhile MCD regularised 7,200 contractual staff in 2011-12 and 2,000 workers were made permanent by North Corporation after the trifurcation, said Yogender Chandolia, leader of house at North Corporation. East Corporation has regularised around 4,500 workers and South Corporation 5,000, he added.