Garbage contractors in the city called off their strike and resumed collection of waste at the ward level from Saturday afternoon. Contractors, who called for a strike over non-payment of pending pills, held a meeting with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials who assured them that their grievances would be addressed at the earliest.
S N Balasubramanyam, president of the Bruhat Bengaluru Garbage Contractors’ Association said that their primary demand of clearing bills amounting to ₹248 crore, which have been pending for eight months, has been resolved. “After the meeting, garbage collection vehicles started door-to-door waste collection. We have also requested the authorities to facilitate transportation and disposal of the garbage. There will be no problem from Sunday onwards when it comes to collection of garbage,”said Mr. Balasubramanyam.
In a press release, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that instructions have been given for bills to be cleared on a regular basis. Mr. Gupta on Friday told The Hindu that he had ordered the release of all bills cleared by the central office. He warned that officers will be held responsible if bills cleared by the Finance Department were held up.