Govt likely to regularise services of safai sewaks

Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 2

The state government is going to scrap the contract system for recruiting safai sewaks in the Municipal Councils and Corporations to avoid their exploitation by contractors and steps will be initiated to regularise their services.

“CM Capt Amarinder Singh has set up State Safai Karamchari Commission to redress their grievances. He has directed the commission to visit all district headquarters and meet the representatives of safai sewaks and submit the report on their problems and measures to redress them, particularly to regularise their services,” said Geja Ram Balmiki, chairman Safai Karamchari Commission, Punjab, while addressing mediapersons after a meeting of district officials and safai sewaks here today.

He said at present, a majority of the safai sewaks were working on contract or ad hoc basis in councils and corporations and the contractors fleece them as they pay less than the minimum wages fixed by the government.

“Besides, they make payment in cash to save themselves legally, whereas the government has made it clear that their salary should be put into their account. Safai sewaks have brought this menace to his notice and it will be ensured that their salary is credited to their accounts,” he added.

He said licences of all those contractors who fleece safai sewaks would be cancelled, the amount grabbed by them would be recovered and legal action initiated. He said the government would ensure that the life insurance of all safai sewaks was done so that after any causality their family may get compensation.

Later, addressing officials and safai sewaks, he directed all district heads to immediately inform the commission regarding vacant posts of safai sewaks in their departments so that recruitment could be made. He directed the officials to ensure insurance and free medical check-up of safai sewaks after every three months. He directed to put their salary in their accounts instead of making payments through contractors.

DC Amrit Kaur Gill assured the commission that all directions would be implemented and the problems of safai sewaks would be redressed.