Dalita Sangharsha Samithi (DSS) condemned the termination of services of around 250 municipal labourers working in Afzalpur, Aland, Shahabad, Sedam and Chincholi civic bodies and demanded that Directorate of Municipal Administration withdraw its order. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Arjun Bhadre, State organising convenor of the dalit outfit, attacked the apex body of Municipal Administration for removing the pourakarmikas, calling their appointment illegal.
As per the information he provided, State government issued a notification in 1993 that transferred the power of appointing Group D workers in local urban civic bodies from elected body to Deputy Commissioner concerned. However, some civic bodies, unaware of the notification, did make some appointments initially and the workers thus appointed in the transition were now terminated after over twenty years.
“What were these IAS officers doing all these years? Did they realise that the appointments of pourakarmikas are illegal only when latter demanded their pending wages on Deepavali eve? We condemn the decision and demand Dr. R.Vishal, Director of Municipal Administration, to withdraw the order immediately,” said Mr. Bhadre.
Dr. Malleshi Sajjan, State convenor of the organisation, termed the termination as infringement by a public authority of constitutionally guaranteed right to life. “As per the Contract Labour (Regulation And Abolition) Act, a worker who completes his/her duty for 250 days without interruption should be considered as permanent labour. From that point of view, all the workers whose services are now terminated should be deemed to be regular employees. Instead of regularising their services, the government has rendered them jobless,” he said.
Protest
The dalit leaders announced that they would hold a protest rally and demonstration in Kalaburagi on Friday condemning the termination and demanding regularisation of terminated workers. “The rally would begin from Ambedkar Circle and marched through major streets to reach the office of Deputy Commissioner,” he said.
Dalit leaders Mallikarjun Kranthi, Mallikarjun Khanna, Sharanu J.D., Mahantesh Badadal and others were present.
