Taking cognisance of the discontent among safai karamcharis, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is initiating the process of regularisation of temporary safai karamcharis and filling up vacant posts besides building about 1,000 shelters with facilities for toilets and storerooms for them.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Standing Committee Chairman Yogendra Chandolia said the MCD in the first phase would immediately regularise 426 safai karamcharis who were engaged between April 1, 1994, and June 30, 1994.
In the second phase, 2000 safai karamcharis engaged up to March 31, 1995, would be regularised, he said. Mr. Chandolia also assured the safai karamcharis that they would be regularised at par with employees of the other MCD departments.
Stating that 14,000 temporary safai karamcharis were working on a “piecemeal basis”, Mr. Chandolia said they will not face delays in getting their salaries anymore. He said the issue was top priority for the MCD and that concerned officials have been instructed to personally supervise the billing process and avoid delays.
The Standing Committee Chairman also gave an assurance that 7,000 vacant posts for safai karamcharis would be filled and new posts created based on the requirements at the zonal level.
Mr. Chandolia said that work on 338 shelters for safai karamcharis had been completed, 521 shelters were nearing completion and work on 99 shelters was progressing.
“The shelters will be used for keeping brooms and sanitary materials. Earlier, attendance of safai karamcharis was marked in the open by supervisors. From now a biometric system would be used to mark attendance. These shelters are being constructed for the first time. Earlier these workers had no toilet or storage facilities,” said Mr. Chandolia.
The MCD has also procured 55,000 coloured aprons for safai karamcharis to wear during sanitation work to ensure their safety and visibility to vehicles plying on roads, he added.
“The doors of the MCD are always open to safai karamcharis. We will sit with their representatives and sort out the issues, if any,” Mr. Chandolia said.
