Safai karamcharis go on strike in Doraha

Our Correspondent

Doraha, April 12

Safai workers have once again gone on strike, this time with a resolve not to resume work till their demands are met. Regularisation of services is their primary demand for which they have been pressing upon the government for the past one year and had got assurance too in return. Despite this, after passing of one year they have failed to receive any such approval and continue to suffer.

Meanwhile, protesters have levelled allegations against Municipal Council officials for abusing and manhandling women safai karamcharis while on strike today. A counter complaint in this regard has, however, been filed from the side of the Municipal Council as well.

The Doraha president of the Safai Sewak Union, Rocky, shared, “The government has been fooling us for the past almost one year. We have been making continuous efforts to reach the government since last year. Inflation has reached its peak, but we have to be satisfied with meagre wages. It is now for the government to think that when commodities are getting dearer with each passing day how can we meet daily needs of our families in such low wages?” he said.

“When we tried to collect proceeding letters from all committees of the district to start process of our case, we came to know that the Doraha Municipal Council has never bothered to pass the resolution in this regard till date. We have been fooled by the council with false assurances,” he added.

“Moreover, higher officials of the Municipal Council used rough language and even tried to manhandle our fellow women staff today as we sat on dharna. Our meeting with MLA Manwinder Singh Gisapura has been fixed for tomorrow. We will apprise him of the situation. Whatever the case may be, we will not move an inch till we get letters of regularisation in our hands,” he said.

“This is nothing less than bonded labour. We have been working day in and day out in deplorable conditions to keep the town clean and residents’ disease free. But our efforts have borne no fruit. None can really understand our miserable condition,” he added.

“False and verbal assurances will not work anymore. We want the government to take a decision and implement the same as early as possible,” said protesters.

Executive Officer of Doraha Sukhdev Singh could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Sources in the Police Department, however, confirmed that cross complaints were received from both sides, including the Executive Officer of Doraha and safai karamcharis, who had levelled allegations of misbehaviour and manhandling on each other.

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