'Pourakarmikas' services to be regularised, says Karnataka CM after strike

AAP leaders had joined the 'pourakarmikas' protesting at Bengaluru's Freedom Park on Friday.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai Saturday said the state government will regularise services of 'pourakarmikas', or safai karamcharis, working on direct payment. This comes after 'pourakarmikas' across the state launched an indefinite strike from yesterday at the city's Freedom Park seeking regularisation of their services.

'Pourakarmikas', or safai karamcharis, shout slogans during their strike at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Friday, July 1, 2022. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) (PTI)

"The state will regularise services of 'pourakarmikas' working on direct payment. We have agreed to extend social security, medical service, and assistance for education of children of 'pourakarmikas', Bommai said, adding, "Rules will be formed in next assembly session."

There are around 16,000 'pourakarmikas' on direct payment contracts with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the city's administrative body, and, apart from sweeping streets, they also go door-to-door to collect waste, meaning collection has been affected.

They are demanding dignified working conditions, including safety equipment, post-retirement benefits and permanency of jobs, in addition to other welfare measures.

They claimed these issues had consistently ignored by the state government.

Yesterday Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders joined the 'pourakarmikas' who were protesting at Freedom Park, hoping to generate support in the state ahead of next year's election.

In 2017 the then-Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had proposed the regularisation of 'pourakarmikas' but the implementation failed.

"the Special Recruitment Rules 2017, only those who clean roads were treated as 'pourakarmikas'. Sewage cleaning workers, garbage collectors, garbage truck drivers, garbage loaders and helpers (were not)..." the AAP's state second-in-command, Bhaskar Rao, said.

With input from PTI