High drama was witnessed at the Circuit House after the Chairman of the Punjab State Safai Karamchari Commission and Municipal Corporation (MC) employees locked horns over the recommendation of lodging FIR against the concerned MC employees, who had alleged forced staff to undertake manual scavenging of sewer lines without safety gear in Jugiana area on July 16.
Chairperson of the commission, Geja Ram Valmiki, had called a meeting of the commission over the delay in lodging the FIR against the concerned MC employees even after he recommended action against the officials on July 16. However, some MC staffers reached the spot and opposed the recommendation alleging that the chairperson himself had asked the manual scavengers to enter the manhole and accused the chairperson of falsely implicating the employees.
The MC employees, including junior engineers, a sub-divisional officer (SDO) and executive engineers of the operations and maintenance cell of the civic body shared a video where the chairperson can reportedly been heard asking the men to enter the manhole.
Contractual sewer cleaner, Vijaypal, who was caught on camera while entering the manhole in the Jugiana area, also said that he was asked to enter the manhole by the chairperson himself. Few councillors also came in support of the MC employees. As the argument between the chief and MC employees grew heated, police force was deployed on the spot.
The argument between the MC employees, chairperson and administrative officials continued for over seven hours, with Geja Ram alleging that he too had video evidence of a sewer cleaner entering a manhole in Model Town area on July 22.
{{/usCountry}}The argument between the MC employees, chairperson and administrative officials continued for over seven hours, with Geja Ram alleging that he too had video evidence of a sewer cleaner entering a manhole in Model Town area on July 22.
{{/usCountry}}The MC employees said they try to avoid manual scavenging and when there is no other option, prior permission is taken from the higher authorities and safety kits are provided.
The chairperson accused the MC employees of misbehaving, threatening him and obstructing the proceedings of the meeting and recommended an FIR against 33 employees.
In turn, Municipal Employees Sangharsh Committee chairperson Jasdev Sekhon said that the MC employees will go on an indefinite strike if the MC officials and employees are wrongly implicated.
Administrative officials including sub-divisional magistrate (SDM East) Baljinder Dhillon, and municipal corporation joint commissioner Kulpreet Singh who were present on the spot intervened. The commissioner recorded the statements of the MC employees and sewermen.
Geja Ram said he was stopping the employees from entering the manhole and the video was being misinterpreted to pressure the commission. “Five manholes had already been cleaned in the Jugiana area before the act was caught on camera. The statements of the MC officials and safai karamcharis have been taken but they will be verified as the manual scavengers are also under pressure,” he said.
“An FIR will be recommended in cases of manual scavenging and also against the MC officials who came to the meeting uninvited, broke the protocol, misbehaved, created nuisance and obstructed the proceedings of the meeting. I will meet commissioner of police Rakesh Agrawal in this regard on Wednesday. We have video proof of everything,” said the chairperson.