Sacked PhD sweeper gets back his job

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sweeper Sunil Yadav, who successfully completed his first year of Doctorate (PhD) in scavenging with the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), was relieved from Grant Road ward of BMC without serving a transfer copy to another ward.

Since then Yadav, the only breadwinner of his family, has been running from pillar to post seeking an explanation from the civic body for the harsh step against him.

However, after media reports slamming the BMC, officials of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department issued a letter asking him to resume in the same ward — Grant Road (D ward) — where he was working.

Yadav while speaking to the Free Press Journal said, “I received a letter asking me to rejoin the previous ward. What is the use? I am on study leave from August 11 till December as the Bombay High Court in its 2016 order has allowed me 140 days study leave for my PhD studies. I wanted to work side by side with my studies and that is why I had requested a transfer.”

Yadav, who lives in Chembur was posted at Grant Road, and had earlier applied for a transfer to Chembur ward as it would have enabled him to study better. He intends to complete his doctorate.

Instead of aiding his desire to study, in a shocking move, on August 2, Yadav received a letter from Assistant Engineer of Solid Waste Management (SWM) department of Grant Road ward, informing him that he has been relieved from the post of a sweeper from the D ward.

Despite working as a sweeper with the BMC, Yadav, through his dedication, passed his tenth standard which he had failed earlier. He has now completed the first year of Doctorate (PhD) on scavenging subject with the TISS.

In 2005, he got the job as a sweeper, on compensatory grounds after his father, was declared medically unfit for the job.

I received a letter asking me to rejoin the previous ward.What is the use? I am on study leave from August 11 till December with an HC order