PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) on Wednesday approved a proposal to increase the daily honorarium of the sanitation workers from Rs 500 to Rs 800, a move expected to benefit around 1,700 workers across the city. The revised payment structure is expected to come into effect soon, following formal administrative procedures.
The decision was taken during the corporation’s board meeting held on Wednesday and received unanimous support from councillors present. The hike comes amid repeated concerns over low wages and increasing workload on sanitation staff, especially after the expansion of municipal limits in recent years.
During the meeting, the councillor, Amita Singh raised the issue. She said that while sanitation workers have continued to perform their duties with consistency, the number of workers has not increased in proportion to the growing size of the city. This, she noted, has put additional pressure on the existing staff and affected overall service delivery in some areas. She also called for fresh recruitment to strengthen the workforce.
The proposal of Singh was passed by the board.
The mayor, Saurabh Thapliyal stated that sanitation workers are central to maintaining cleanliness in the city and their welfare remains a priority for the civic body.
The revised honorarium will cost over Rs 51 lakh per month, in addition to the municipal corporation.
The move is also being viewed in the context of the corporation’s broader effort to enhance waste management, cleanliness standards and performance in the Swachh Survekshan ranking. The civic authorities indicated that, along with financial measures, efforts are being made to streamline operations and enhance monitoring of sanitation work across wards.
