Rs 10 lakh relief for sewer man’s kin

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 29

A day after 25-year-old sewer worker Jitendra died while cleaning a manhole near Behlana, Mayor Arun Sood has ordered a slew of measures to ensure that no such incident happens in the future.

The Mayor handed over a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to Jitendra’s mother at a meeting held at the Community Centre, Sector 40. Krishan Kumar Chadda, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Majdoor Congress Union, said the contractor agreed to pay the compensation after employees threatened that they would not cremate the body till the compensation was given to the family.

The Mayor said a compensation of Rs 10 lakh would be provided in all past cases of death of sewer men while cleaning manholes. He said an agenda in this regard would be placed before the general house meeting tomorrow for approval.

The Mayor has issued directions that all necessary safety kits and equipment be procured before June 30 and till then no sewer men would enter a manhole. The Mayor said a Junior Engineer would supervise the cleaning process in the future and would be responsible for any lapses.

Rakesh Kumar, convener of the Coordination Committee of Government and MC employees, has demanded a job for an eligible member of the family of the sewer man, besides a compensation of Rs 20 lakh.