Agra stinks as sanitary workers go on strike

The strike was a sequel to a tiff between corporator Rishabh Gupta and sanitary supervisor Ajeet alias Vikasdeep. The sanitary workers alleged the corporator had attacked Vikasdeep and demanded his arrest. Gupta, on the other hand, refuted the allegations.

Agra The Taj city remained stinking on Tuesday , with mounds of garbage gathered at collection points, after the Nagar Nigam staff entrusted with the task of cleaning the city went on strike. The initial round of talks held on Monday between safai karamcharis (sanitary workers) and Nagar Nigam officials yielded no result. Consequently, garbage was not disposed of on Tuesday.

Additional municipal commissioner Surendra Yadav admitted that garbage at collection points was not disposed of. (Pic for representation only)

The strike was a sequel to a tiff between corporator Rishabh Gupta and sanitary supervisor Ajeet alias Vikasdeep. The sanitary workers alleged the corporator had attacked Vikasdeep and demanded his arrest. Gupta, on the other hand, refuted the allegations.

Additional municipal commissioner Surendra Yadav admitted that garbage at collection points was not disposed of, as trucks and vehicles operated by staff of Agra Nagar Nigam did not move on city roads on Tuesday.

“We have made efforts for door to door disposal of garbage but the garbage collected at dumps could not be disposed of because of strike by safai karamchari on Tuesday. We held a round of talks with the cleaning staff on Monday but the discussions failed,” said Yadav.

“We appeal to the Nagar Nigam staff to withdraw their strike and resume work. They should allow police to do its work after a case was registered against the elected corporator on their complaint. We are hopeful that talks to be held now onwards will provide result and staff will resume working,” he said..

However, the safai karamcharis were not ready to accept anything less than arrest of corporator Rishabh Gupta, elected from Ward No. 86 (Vijay Nagar) .

“We will continue with strike till our demands are met. Rishabh Gupta, the corporator who attacked the sanitary supervisor Ajeet alias Vikasdeep should be arrested after a case was registered him under SC/ST Act at Hariparvat police station in Agra. There was nothing concrete that Nagar Nigam official offered in the first round of talks and so, the strike will continue on Wednesday,” said Jhalloram Valmiki, the man spearheading the agitation by the sanitation workers.

Meanwhile, corporator Rishabh Gupta said that he always respected the Valmiki community from which most of the safai karamchari hailed. There was no provision of arrest in the ongoing matter and thus no undue pressure should to be created on police.

“I did not attack the sanitary supervisor. All I did was to ask him as to how only 14 out of 27 safai karamchari were present on August 5 when I went in my ward to assess cleaning work after complaints. Ajeet alias Vikasdeep is on contract but made supervisor in contravention of rules,” alleged Gupta who won as independent candidate, defeating BJP candidate in the local bodies’ election held.

“Police should be allowed to do its work and law should be allowed to take its own course in pursuit of justice. I did not attack the supervisor. He created fake injuries. I am committed to those residing in my ward and prepared to face the consequences,” said Gupta.