Pourakarmikas threaten to lay siege to CM's house

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, NOV. 25. A large number of pourakarmikas (civic workers) working for the 86 garbage contractors, who were allotted fresh work orders by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) from November 1 this year, have threatened to work stop the ``Swachcha Bangalore'' programme, if they were not paid the prescribed monthly salary of Rs.2,200 regularly.

The workers, affiliated to the BMP Guttige Pourakarmikara Sangha, on Sunday demanded better facilities, including adequate equipment, to carry out cleaning activities in the City.

``If our demands are not met within a week, we will lay siege to the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna's house. We will register our protest by dumping garbage in front of the BMP Head Office,'' the Sangha President, Mr. Anjaneyalu, and the Secretary, Mr. Keshav Murthy, said.

Addressing presspersons here, they said that the civic workers under the new contractors were not paid salaries as prescribed in the tender norms. ``Though rules under the new tenders clearly specify that each pourakarmika working on contract should be paid a sum of Rs.2,200 monthly, they are paid just Rs.1,100. Women workers are the worst sufferers as they are paid just Rs.800,'' Mr. Murthy said.

The contractors had not provided the workers with equipment such as brooms, gum-boots, hand gloves, uniforms and badges, which was in violation of the tender norms, he said.

Though the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner, Mr. Ashok M.Dalwai, had directed all the contractors in August last year to make payments to the workers through crossed cheques, the instructions were not followed, Mr. Anjaneyalu said.

This apart, the contractors had not appointed the prescribed number of workers for each package. ``While the tender rules specify that each contractor should appoint 130 workers for cleaning under each package, the contractors appoint just 50 or 60 workers, which increased the work-load,'' he said.

Appealing to the State Government to do away with the contract system, he demanded the immediate reinstatement of all those workers who were sacked from duty (by the contractors) for protesting against the violation of tender norms. He also wanted the contracts of those found violating the tender norms cancelled.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Five BMTC buses damaged in stone throwing
Next     : Mayor, Deputy call on CM