PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
The Safai Karmachari Mazdoor Union on Monday submitted a six-point charter of demands to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and chief secretary Anand Bardhan through the district administration, seeking action on issues related to sanitation workers in the State. The union’s State president Naresh Vaidya presented the memorandum to city magistrate Rakesh Tiwari in the presence of sanitation workers and union members.
According to the union, several representations have been submitted to the State government in the past regarding the welfare of sanitation workers but many of the issues remain unresolved. The union said that the sanitation workers continue to face uncertainty over employment conditions, wages and pension-related benefits.
One of the key demands raised in the memorandum concerns a proposal approved by the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) board to increase the daily wage of temporary sanitation workers -Paryavaran Mitras- to Rs 800. The union also sought the regularisation of 715 contractual and daily wage workers. Union leaders alleged that despite the proposal being approved by the board nearly two months ago, no concrete action has been taken so far.
The memorandum further demanded the restructuring of local body establishments to fill vacant sanitation worker posts and the creation of 10,000 permanent sanitation worker positions across Uttarakhand. Of these, the union has sought 3,000 posts for the MCD.
Other demands include the establishment of a Bhagwan Valmiki fund on the lines of a similar welfare scheme operating in Punjab, restoration of the old pension scheme that was discontinued in 2004-05 creation of a separate sanitation workers’ cadre and payment of Rs 800 per day to all temporary, contractual, daily wage and night gang workers.
Union representatives said that sanitation workers play a crucial role in maintaining cleanliness and public health in urban areas and their concerns should be addressed on priority.
The union has warned that if its demands are not addressed within 15 days it will consider further steps to press for their implementation.
