New Delhi: Owing to revenue loss due to the coronavirus lockdown, the Delhi government on Sunday demanded an immediate aid of Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre.
CM Arvind Kejriwal urged the Union government to help the people of Delhi in this hour of crisis, as his government suffered major revenue loss due to the lockdown and is finding it difficult to even pay salaries to its employees. Kejriwal, in a tweet, requested the Centre to help the people of Delhi in this hour of disaster.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government needs help of Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre.
Sisodia, also Delhi's Finance Minister, said other states have received financial help from Disaster relief funds and the national capital should get it too.
Sisodia has written to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking the financial help.
"We have reviewed Delhi Government's minimum expenses. According to that, we would need around Rs 3,500 crore every month to pay salaries to our employees and to meet other office expenses. The GST collections in the past two months have only been Rs 500 crore per month and after combining it with other sources, we have managed to collect Rs 1,735 crore. But we actually need at least Rs 7,000 crore for two months," said Sisodia.
