Karnal sanitation workers’ strike enters Day 3

Karnal, October 22

Garbage continues to pile up across the city as the indefinite statewide strike by the sanitation workers entered the third day today.

The workers are demanding regular jobs for the ad-hoc staff, filling the vacant posts and abolishment of the Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam portal. The protesters said they would sit on strike till their demands were fulfilled.

Workers created hurdles for vehicles

The Municipal Corporation had deployed 100 employees to lift garbage, but the protesters created hurdles for the workers and did not allow them to work. Tyres of our vehicles were deflated. —Ajay Singh Tomar, Commissioner, MC

The Karnal Municipal Corporation (MC) had employed 100 persons and deployed some of its vehicles for lifting garbage from various locations in the city, but they were stopped by the protesters.

A confrontation-like situation was reported at several places. Tyres of the vehicles deployed by the MC were also deflated, as a result of which garbage could not be lifted.

MC Commissioner Ajay Singh Tomar and Mayor Renu Bala Gupta held a meeting with the protesting employees and appealed to them to end their strike. The meeting ended inconclusively.

The state secretary of the Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, and the HSVP state president threatened to continue their strike and said the government was trying to suppress them by suspending employees, but they would not bow down.

The strike led to deterioration in sanitation condition in the city as heaps of garbage can be seen at various locations across the city.

Tomar said the MC had deployed 100 employees to lift garbage, but the protesters and did not allow them to work. “Tyres of our vehicles were also deflated,” he added.

“I had even offered Rs 600 for each trolley of garbage at the processing plant, for which I had sought the help of the councillors, Residents’ Welfare Associations and NGOs,” the Commissioner said.