Pourakarmikas, who had been staging an indefinite dharna for better salaries and permanent jobs, on Monday, called off their protest after Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai directed the municipal administration department to start the process of granting permanent employment status to the civic workers in three months. In a statement released by his team, Bommai also said that “drivers and loaders outside the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be brought into direct payment”.
More than 15,000 BBMP were said to have taken part in the protests. The demonstrations were organised by the Pourakarmikara Sanghatanegala Janti Horata Samiti, of which Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Powrakarmikara Sangha was a co-organiser.
Read: Why Karnataka civic workers went on a strike and what Bommai govt has done now
The CM had made a similar statement two days ago saying the state government will regularise services of Pourakarmikas, but the civic workers demanded an official statement that stated the deadline.
"The state government will regularise services of Pourakarmikas working on direct payment. We have agreed to extend social security, medical service, and assistance for the education of children of pourakarmikas. Necessary rules will be formulated during the next assembly session," Bommai had said on Saturday.
“They (government) claim to give ₹18,000, but we only get ₹12,000 in hand. We don't know our PF numbers, we don't know where our money goes. Will keep sitting here even if we die, nobody is listening to us,” a protester was quoted as saying by news agency ANI from Bengaluru’s Freedom Park.
{{/usCountry}}“They (government) claim to give ₹18,000, but we only get ₹12,000 in hand. We don't know our PF numbers, we don't know where our money goes. Will keep sitting here even if we die, nobody is listening to us,” a protester was quoted as saying by news agency ANI from Bengaluru’s Freedom Park.
{{/usCountry}}Among those in opposition that backed the protests were the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). "If pourakarmikas refuse to work even for a single day, the waste disposal problem will worsen and people will have to close their noses. Sanitation workers, including cleaners and sweepers, are paid a meagre salary. They are unable to meet their basic needs with this salary. So, their jobs must be made permanent," AAP’s state vice-president Bhaskar Rao told the news agency.