The Karnataka government has regularised the services of over 3,673 pourakarmikas or sanitation workers working with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city’s civic body, according to the official notification.
The pourakarmikas who are currently on a contractual basis will be working under the government with a pay scale in the range of ₹17,000 to ₹28,950, the notification read.
“A person who has worked for more number of years shall be preferred against a person who has worked for less number of years. The preference shall be in the order of direct pay, Kshemabhivrudhi or daily wages in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, on producing documents of payment. They shall produce evidence for working and being paid for at least two years,” the notification issued on Wednesday read.
An eight-member committee headed by BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Girinath has been formed which will be responsible for shortlisting the 3,673 out of the total 18,000 pourakarmika workforces.The candidates will be hired based on experience and the maximum age limit for the workers has been set at 55 years.
“In case where candidates from general merit category and Other Backward Classes category are not available, steps shall be taken by relaxing the conditions to consider the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates,” the notification added.
The sanitation workers have been demanding better salaries, regular and permanent employment for months. In July, they had launched a strike that was called off after the state government agreed to address their demands.
The state government had in writing assured the protesting workers that all those working under direct payment system will be regularised. It had said that drivers and loaders of garbage collection vehicles will also be brought under the direct payment system.
Earlier this month, the pourakarmikas had threatened a stir yet again after chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the regularisation of the services of just 11,136 sanitary workers in the state.
“The government decided to regularise the services of sanitation workers as per the recommendation of a committee constituted to study it. The welfare of Dalits and oppressed classes has been the main motto of our government,” Bommai had said.
However, the sanitation workers were unhappy with Bommai’s decision to regularise the services of only 11,000 workers when there are about 48,000 pourkarmikas across the state.
