The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is contemplating joining hands with The Ugly Indian (TUI) to beautify the black spots, where citizens routinely dump garbage, across the city.
City Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana joined members of the TUI, a voluntary citizens’ group that works with the motto “Kaam chalu mooh bandh”, on Tuesday to clean up and beautify a black spot in Thyagarajanagar in Basavanagudi ward.
“The TUI is a group that works anonymously to clean up the city’s black spots. We hope to tie up with them to rid the city of black spots. Soon, we will sign a memorandum of understanding with the group under the ‘Namma Bengaluru, Nanna Koduge’ campaign,” he said.
Adding that he would urge all councillors to submit a list of black spots in their wards to his office, he said the spots would be tackled one at a time. “The TUI may help the BBMP clean the black spots; but to be get rid of them (black spots), citizens have to cooperate,” he said.
Protest Meanwhile, across the city, several pourakarmikas, who keep the city clean, staged a protest demanding payment of wages. The contract pourakarmikas have not been paid their salaries for the past three months.
M. Subbarayudu, president of the Karnataka State Local Bodies Pourakarmika and Contract Pourakarmikas’ Association, told The Hindu that garbage contractors have failed to meet the conditions agreed upon in the contract with the BBMP. “The contract pourakarmikas are not paid on time, neither are ESI and PF benefits extended to them. They are not given uniforms, masks, gloves and gumboots. What is more, they are forced to buy brooms! This is nothing but a blatant violation of the contractual agreement,” he said.
The BBMP officials admitted there was a delay in releasing salaries of the pourakarmikas and said the salaries would be disbursed soon.
