STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Unnerved by indecisive stand of concerned authorities on resolving their issues, the civic Safai Karamcharis, who were protesting for the last ten days on Wednesday decided to go on indefinite Kaam Chhorro Hartal from tomorrow. If the issues were not resolved soon, Jammu may face sanitation crisis as was witnessed in the year 2013.
The Safai Karamcharis were pressing for fulfillment of their longpending demands including re-organisation of the department, scrapping of NGO system, etc.
A representative of Safai karamchari Union informed that more than 3,000 Safai Karamcharis are working under Jammu Municipal Corporation, and have decided to observe strike. Besides, clerical staff of JMC, drivers and sanitary inspectors shall also join the move initiated by the Safai Karamcharis.
Their other demands include deployment of municipal employees in wards instead of parking slots, regularisation of contractual drivers of JMC who have completed nine years of service, holding of DPCs for all cadres, etc.
President Civic Safai Karamcharis Union Rinku Gill criticized the callous attitude of the municipal authorities for adopting non-serious attitude towards their demands.
Gill said that they have given frequent representations and submitted charter of demands to the concerned authorities but nothing positive came out.
“Earlier, there were 23 wards in Jammu with 1,056 workers, but today the number of wards has increased to 71 with no addition of workforce. We have been demanding increase in staff strength and Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) for all cadres” Gill asserted.
He mentioned that earlier in December 2015, the Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and JMC Commissioner have assured us for fulfilling the demands but till date nothing has been done.
“We on the assurance of municipal authorities suspended strike in December 2015 but despite lapse of four months no action has been taken in favour of Safai Karamcharis as well as other municipal employees,” he said and announced to start indefinite Kaam Chhoro Hartal from tomorrow.
However, calling the strike by sanitation workers a hoax, Joint Commissioner JMC, R.S Jamwal said, “Most of demands of sanitation staff has already been considered”. He informed that the Corporation has recently held the DPC and the re-organisation issue is under process. He further mentioned that they earlier demanded for uniforms which the corporation had readily provided.
“The Corporation is favour of Safai Karamcharis and did a lot for them. Some vested interest people are misguiding them for their personal interest,” he added.