Delhi’s civic domestic breeding checkers strike, demand permanent status

Despite the ongoing strike, the action taken report on vector borne diseases, issued by the municipal corporations every Monday, continues to reflect an increase in mosquito control measures, including house inspections and fumigation.

A large section of domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) of the three municipal corporations have been on a strike since the past 11 days and are protesting outside the Civic Centre, the south corporation headquarters.

Delhi’s three corporations have over 3,500 DBCs --1,350 in south corporation, 1,535 in north corporation and 710 in east corporation (Representative image/Reuters Archive)

Domestic breeding checkers are demanding that they be made permanent employees and their services regularised so that they are eligible to claim all employee benefits.

The three corporations have over 3,500 DBCs --1,350 in south corporation, 1,535 in north corporation and 710 in east corporation.

Despite the ongoing strike, the action taken report on vector borne diseases, issued by the municipal corporations every Monday, continues to reflect an increase in mosquito control measures, including house inspections and fumigation. The latest vector borne disease report, released last Monday, states that around 3.19 million house visits were undertaken by DBCs this year, till February 26, and 58,209 houses have been sprayed with larvicides.

The comparison of action taken reports of the previous two weeks shows that the DBCs checked 444,604 houses between February 19-26. Of them, south corporation conducted 154,351 visits, north corporation 176,000 visits and east corporation conducted 113,000 visits. Similarly, 16,629 properties were sprayed with larvicides and chemicals during the period. DBC union, however, has alleged that the reports and data are fabricated and do not reflect the reality.

However, a senior public health department official argued that a section of DBC workers are continuing to work and field workers from other departments can also be diverted for house checking work in case of emergencies.

Sharma said the unions had a meeting with south corporation commissioner on Thursday and the strike will only be called off on receipt of a written assurance regarding regularisation of workers.

The unions said DBCs have been working for over two decades as contractual employees, and the authorities have time and again promised them that their services will be regularised, without making good on the promise.

DBCs were hired as contractual health workers in 1996 and no such permanent post exists with the three corporations. Leader of the house, south corporation, Inderjeet Sehrawat said the file for creation of posts has been passed by the house and sent to the government for approval on three occasions as the new posts can only be created by the state government. He added that the matter of discrepancy in data will be looked into and accountability fixed.