Strike ends after HC orders Haldwani sanitation workers to resume work immediately
Thursday, 01 December 2022 | PNS | NAINITAL
The deteriorated sanitation in Haldwani is expected to improve now with the Uttarakhand High Court ordering striking sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation of Haldwani (MCH) to immediately return to work, failing which the court will order strict action against them. The State government and the MCH have also been directed to consider the demands of the sanitation workers. The division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice RC Khulbe issued these orders while hearing a public interest litigation regarding the garbage spread in Haldwani city due to strike of the sanitation workers in the MCH. The court also observed that an entire city cannot be held hostage regarding one’s demands.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the court told the sanitation workers to tell in ten minutes whether they are ending the strike or not. The counsel for the sanitation workers stated that they were ready to end their strike, adding that they will cooperate with the MCH and the Baini Sena- members of women self help group who monitor sanitation and door to door garbage collected as part of a scheme launched by the MCH. They further requested that the MCH and government should consider their demands. Disposing of the PIL, the High Court directed the sanitation workers to immediately return to their work.
It will be recalled that Haldwani resident Dinesh Chandola had filed the PIL stating that members of seven unions of sanitation workers had been on strike since November 24 due to which garbage was lying scattered across Haldwani city. The petitioner had stated that the protesting sanitation workers had taken charge of the 400 municipal garbage collection vehicles. The resulting situation was posing a public health risk, the petitioner had stated.
