Sanitation staff took out a huge rally to express their solidarity with the corporation employees, who are on strike to protest against the Congress Working Committee (CWC) decision to bifurcate the State, here on Wednesday.
Sanitary and health inspectors, supervisors, in-charge sanitary inspectors, health assistants, contract and regular workers, timescale contract drivers and cleaners, DWCUA, and CMEY group members applied mass casual leave to register their protest.
Leaders of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Sanitary Inspectors’ Association said that VMC JAC had been agitating for the last 33 days. Keeping people’s hardship in view, the emergency services were spared from the strike. The sanitation staff was working as usual.
There was, however, no response from the government. Instead, the Congress leadership was adamant about the division. To express their protest and solidarity to the striking employees, the mass casual leave programme was taken up. The emergency services would be stopped if the State division process was not reviewed, they said.
Chief Medical Officer of Health P. Ratnavali flagged off the rally. The staff members VAS Z. Srinivasa Rao, AMOHs Babu Srinivasa Rao and Gopal Naik and others were present. With the sanitation staff going on mass casual leave, garbage was not lifted at many places in the city. Garbage bins overflowed. Heavy rain that lashed the city in the evening worsened the situation. Stinking smell emanated in the vicinity of garbage bins, causing hardship to people. Garbage on connecting roads, arterial and internal roads could not be cleared. It was glaringly evident in areas such as Kovelamudi Vari Veedhi in Suryaraopeta. The city generates nearly 550 MT of garbage every day.
