New Delhi:
The National Green Tribunal on Friday left it to the Delhi High Court to resolve the deadlock between the AAP government and civic bodies on the issue of garbage dumping on the streets of the city due to the ongoing sanitation workers strike.
The panel came of this view after the Delhi government said that it has given all necessary funds to civic bodies for the payment of salaries of sanitation workers while municipal corporations contended that they are running short of funds to clear the dues of their staff.
"We are informed that the Delhi High Court is seized of the matter of garbage dumping which shall be taken up on December 2. In the circumstances, let the parties raise their grievance before the high court," a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.
During the hearing, Tarunvir Singh Khehar, the counsel for the Delhi government, said that funds have been already released to civic bodies for payment of salaries and the corporations need to have their own source of income.
Advocate Balendu Shekher, appearing for the civic bodies, contended that while salaries have been paid to the sanitation staff till the month of September, that of senior officers in the category of 'A' and 'B" have not been been paid for last two months.
"We do not have funds or resources to pay the salaries and whatever money the Delhi government has given is in plan expenditure and only Rs 164 crore has been given in non-plan expenditure which was insufficient," he said.
Advocate Shekher submitted that for East Delhi Municipal Corporation only around Rs 125 crore is needed to pay the salaries of all the staff and for this purpose they have written a letter to the Delhi government on October 28.
"Have you come out with a notification that this strike is illegal.
Why haven't you taken the assistance of the police if their is any resistance from anyone," the bench said to civic bodies.