Sweepers’ strike enters 28th day, towns stink

Lovleen Bains

Doraha/Sahnewal, June 10

The Safai Sewak Union today entered its 28th day of strike after talks with Cabinet Minister Brahm Mohindra failed on Wednesday. Members of the union have said they will not withdraw their protest till their demands are met.

Meanwhile, the sanitation conditions in and around the towns have deteriorated further.

The president of the Doraha unit of the union, Rocky, said: “When every section of society can raise its voice to get its demands fulfilled, why not us? The sanitation workers are the most deprived and needs immediate attention of the government. Inflation rate keeps increasing but our salaries remain the same. How can we satisfy our day-to-day needs with such low wages?” he said.

The general secretary of the Sahnewal unit of the Safai Sewak Union, Sukhdev Singh, said: “It is shameful on part of the government that we have been protesting for nearly a month now but our demands have not been heard. Is it not the duty of the government to take prompt decision in our case to avoid further accumulation of waste in the districts?”

“We met Cabinet Minister Brahm Mohindra yesterday and urged him to accept our demands. We want the government to take a decision and implement the same as early as possible. We had decided to gherao the Moti Mahal today but the government nullified our plans. But now, we have planned another protest on June 15 at the Moti Mahal in Patiala and the residence of the Cabinet Minister,” he added.

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