Gurugram civic body sacks 2 sanitation workers, suspends one over corruption charges

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram has terminated the services of two sanitation workers arrested on corruption charges, and suspended a third worker. The workers have been on strike for 41 days, demanding higher salaries, job regularization, and reinstatement of laid-off workers. The workers claim that the arrests were an attempt to end the strike. The corporation has formed a committee to investigate the matter.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Tuesday terminated the services of two sanitation workers after they were arrested on November 14 on charges of corruption and suspended a third worker.

Sanitation workers protest on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Meanwhile, sanitation workers, under the aegis of Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh, took out a march from Old MCG office on Sadar Bazar to the DC office on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner to press for their several demands. They also claimed that the three workers have been wrongly targeted, so that the authorities can put an end to the 41-day strike carried out by the union members.

The arrested sanitation workers, Ram Singh and Naresh Kumar, are union leaders and are in the judicial custody since November 14. The third MCG worker has been identified as Rajesh Pradhan and is also a union member.

HT reached out to Pradhan, but could not be contacted as his phone was switched off.

A statement issued by MCG on Tuesday said, “Due to the misconduct of these employees, the image of Municipal Corporation Gurugram has got tarnished. As such the services of sanitation workers Ram Singh and Naresh Kumar have been terminated with immediate effect, while suspension orders have been issued to the third sanitation worker, Rajesh.”

An MCG spokesperson said that FIR No. 248 was registered on November 14 in the Civil Lines police station of Gurugram following the complaint of an MCG contractor, who alleged that these three persons were asking for an illegal payment for collection of waste and movement of vehicles. “Following the complaint, an FIR was registered. The services of two workers have been terminated, while another has been suspended for being involved in the matter,” the spokesperson said.

The corporation also formed a committee to investigate the matter.

The Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh, meanwhile, denied the allegation and called the termination a conspiracy to halt the strike. “These actions against the workers are being taken to weaken our strike. This is unjust and we will fight against it. The workers are demanding their just rights and asking the corporation to take back the workers who have been laid off,” said Basant Kumar, district working president of the Sangh, Haryana.

The sanitation workers said that they are demanding that services of 946 employees should be brought on roll of the MCG, while the remaining 2,534 should be given job under the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar scheme. The union also demanded that salary of the workers of last three months, which is stuck should be paid to them, and workers should also be paid money for Provident Fund and ESI pending for the last nine months.