The State government must abolish the contract system for engaging conservancy workers in local bodies, urged the Chairman of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis M. Venkatesan in Tiruppur on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a review meeting at the District Collectorate, he said that the contract conservancy workers are being adversely affected by the system such as receiving low wages and contractors not depositing the money in the bank accounts of the workers. The district administration must crack down on such irregularities by contractors after due investigation, he said
“The State government provides the money to the contractors and not the districts concerned,” he said. Alleging that profits through contract conservancy works “neither reaches the government nor the workers,” Mr. Venkatesan suggested that the State government shall directly pay all conservancy workers instead of paying through contractors.
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Other recommendations made to the State government were the formation of a committee under a retired Madras High Court judge to analyse the negative impacts of the contract system on conservancy workers in the State and setting up a State-level commission for conservancy workers that can conduct inquiries and provide suggestions to the government.
The district administration must also conduct awareness programmes for conservancy workers at least four times in a year regarding the government schemes available to them, Mr. Venkatesan said.