AAP planning to regularise 12,000 contract staff in MCD, claims Atishi

New Delhi: The ruling AAP is preparing to regularise 12,000 contract employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi by approving a proposal in the upcoming sitting of the civic House on February 25, party leader and former Chief Minister Atishi said on Sunday.

The BJP hit back saying that Atishi is spreading lies as no proposal to regularise the employees has yet been sent to the office of the MCD Secretary for the February 25 sitting of the civic House.

Addressing a press conference with Mayor Mahesh Kumar Khichi, Atishi said this would be a historic decision wherein such a large number of contract workers including sanitation workers, gardeners, teachers, junior engineers and malaria breeding checkers.

“February 25 will be a landmark day in the history of MCD when such a large number of contract workers will get permanent jobs in one go,” she said.

The AAP announcement comes in the backdrop of an impending show of strength in MCD after 12 seats in the civic agency fell vacant in the MCD due to the election of councillors to the Delhi Assembly and Parliament.

The possibility of the Opposition gaining a majority after this realignment was recently indicated by Delhi BJP President Virender Sachdeva when he said there were high chances of Delhi getting a “Triple engine” government – with the MCD being the third engine apart from the Delhi and Union governments.

BJP leaders claim that the party enjoys the support of councillors in the 250-member civic body whose 12 seats are vacant.

She said that the AAP has been committed towards regularisation of contract employees and has so far given permanent jobs to 4,500 sanitation workers.

She said that when the AAP contested the municipal elections, it had promised to make temporary employees permanent and today the party has decided to fulfill that promise.

Highlighting the AAP’s concern for contract employees, she said the party has been regularly giving permanent postings to contract teachers in Punjab as well.

Mayor Khichi also highlighted the AAP’s track record of fulfilling all promises made by the party.

Earlier in the day, the 22 AAP legislators elected Atishi as the party’s face in the Legislative Assembly.

Asked about the BJP leaders’ allegations that the AAP-led Delhi government has left the coffers empty, the AAP leader, who is set to be elected the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, said, “I was expecting that the BJP would fulfil its promises without offering excuses for irritants in walking the talk.”

Delhi’s Budget outlay in 2015, when the AAP government was formed, was Rs 30,000 crore. “It increased to Rs 77,000 crore in the past 10 years – over 2.5 times – and I challenge the BJP to tell me about even a single government in BJP-ruled states which has recorded such a remarkable feat,” she said.

She also highlighted CAG’s complement for the previous AAP government for being the only one with a surplus earning or profit.

IANS