Kejriwal seeks regularisation of sanitation workers
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked urban development minister Satyendar Jain to direct local bodies to regularise all contractual sanitation workers.
During a discussion in the Assembly, Kejriwal said five sanitation workers have been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike for the past 16 days.replying to a discussion on ‘hardships being faced by Safai Karamcharis due to non-regularisa- tion of their services’, Kejriwal said, “I request you (sanitation employees) to please break your fast, the Assembly and the Chief Minister is with you.”
Kejriwal also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship scheme ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ saying it has reduced to only “event management”. This comes a day after the CAG report showed that not a single toilet was constructed by by the Delhi government with funds under the Swachh plan.
“Not even a single lane was cleaned under Swachh Bharat Mission. People get their pictures clicked with brooms under the scheme. It is the sanitation workers who have to do it but they have to sit on hunger strike,” Kejriwal said.
There are around 20,000 contractual sanitation workers with the three municipal corporations. They had organised a protest march on Tuesday and attempted to gherao the Parliament but they were stopped near Barakhamba crossing.
“If we get services department today, we will show how to make workers permanent. I can only direct for regularisation of sanitation employees but it has to be done by the municipal corporations,” Kejriwal said.
The three municipal corporations are ruled by the BJP. Leader of the opposition Vijender Gupta demanded ₹765 crore from the government to regularise the sanitation employees.
“MCDS need ₹341 crores for regularisation of sanitation employees, ₹277 crore for arrears and ₹147 crore to implement the 7th pay commission recommendations,” Gupta said.