Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes pourakarmikas (civic workers) and employees have decided to launch a State-wide agitation and set a month’s deadline to the State Government to take steps to regularise their services.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Tuesday, president of the Dharwad District Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Pourakarmika and Employees Association Vijay Guntral said that the agitation is being launched as per a decision taken at an executive committee meeting of the State body of the association on May 5.
“As per the decision, the association members will stage agitations in front of the offices of the respective Deputy Commissioners in all the districts and then submit a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister setting a deadline of one month for regularisation of services,” he said.
Mr. Guntral said that the agitation is for seeking regularisation of services of pourakarmikas, underground drainage workers, loaders, cleaners, cleaning assistants, drivers of garbage trucks, auto tippers and others simultaneously as per a Cabinet decision taken during 2017-18.
He said that the condition of the pourakarmikas and others who are involved in keeping towns and cities of the State clean is pathetic. During the Congress regime in 2017-18, considering the plight of the civic workers, it was decided to abolish all types of contract appointments and regularise their services.
However, anti-Dalit officials of the Urban Development and Municipal Administration deliberately did not implement the Cabinet decision and meted out injustice to civic workers by framing special recruitment rules that deprived them of regularisation of their services, he said.
He said that the officials are reluctant to abolish the contract system and they have joined hands with the contractors to come up with indiscriminate categorisation of cleaning jobs.
He said that because of the apathetic attitude of the officials, the civic workers are being forced to work without any social security and health benefits.
“On May 19, we will stage protests across the State and submit memorandum setting a one-month deadline. And, if our demands are not met, then we will stop cleaning work,” he announced.
