Sanitation staff threaten stir

INDORE MUNICIPAL Corporation (IMC) safai karamcharis (sanitation workers) have threatened to launch an indefinite strike starting February 19 to press for the regularisation of 2300-odd muster roll employees whose services date back to 1986.

INDORE MUNICIPAL Corporation (IMC) safai karamcharis (sanitation workers) have threatened to launch an indefinite strike starting February 19 to press for the regularisation of 2300-odd muster roll employees whose services date back to 1986.

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“The decision was taken after Municipal Commissioner Vinod Sharma failed to furnish a satisfactory answer on when muster roll sanitation workers would be regularised during a two-hour meeting prior to the IMC general council meet”, revealed Nagar Nigam Safai Karamchari Congress president Jatashankar Karosia.

The union leader accused the IMC administration of adopting a casteist attitude when it came to regularising muster roll sanitation employees. “Dozens of upper-caste muster roll employees have been put on the payroll since the government issued directives in this regard but the regularisation of SC sanitation workers is deliberately being stymied”, charged Karosia.

He said the Karamchari Congress had issued several warnings during the last month, including three separate warning letters, but the IMC administration failed to take heed. “Now we’ve issued a final deadline. If the regularisation process is not initiated within four days sanitation workers will strike work from February 19”, warned Karosia.

Earlier, a delegation of sanitation workers forwarded a 40-point memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The memorandum was submitted to Deputy Divisional Commissioner Vandana Vaidya.