Govt reverses announcement

THE STATE Government has reversed its earlier announcement to recruit nearly one lakh safai workers for various civic bodies including Nagar Nigams in the State.

THE STATE Government has reversed its earlier announcement to recruit nearly one lakh safai workers for various civic bodies including Nagar Nigams in the State.

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This has made clear by the Government in its recent government order (GO) asking Allahabad Nagar Nigam to implement the contractual system for the sanitary purposes.

The order has proved a set back for the civic body because the NN at present has only 1950 sanitary staff against the total strength of 3800. This has also clarified the government's intentions to promote private agencies for city's cleaning system. As a result Naini and Teliarganj ward are likely to be handed over to private agencies for cleaning work.

This order may also disappoint the NN administration which has currently launched night cleaning on six roads and now they have decided to extend it on six more roads in the city.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in June 2005, had announced to appoint around one lakh safai karmcharis in the civic bodies of the State. Following the announcement the striking safai karmcharis of Allahabad Nagar Nigam were jubilant and had widely hailed the announcement.

Around 700 persons who worked as part timers were expecting to be absorbed as permanent staff but this order has come as a bolt from the blue for them.These safai karmcharis were living on the verge of starvation due to apathetic attitude of the State Government.They were appointed under a new system in 1998 following scrapping of the then contractual system at Nagar Nigam. The appointment was made on the condition of three hours work with a payment of Rs 1000/ per month.

However, the state government in a sudden move scrapped such appointments with immediate effect.