The civic body on Tuesday advised councillors to prevent misuse of a scheme to use the services of labourers under Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY).
Complaints pertaining to collection of money from daily-wage labourers seeking jobs have started piling up at Ripon Buildings, headquarters of the Chennai Corporation.
As many as 5,000 additional labourers will be hired for malaria control and conservancy operations and to work in Amma canteens, in a few weeks.
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“We have already hired around 7,000 workers under SJSRY. Some persons have reportedly collected thousands from job seekers, promising permanent jobs after a few months. All ward-level officials and councillors have been advised to create awareness of the scheme and prevent illegal collection of money,” said an official.
“Any unskilled worker can get a job under the scheme. The scheme has improved the livelihood of the poor and improved civic services in the city. Misuse of the scheme is likely to affect civic condition in a number of neighbourhoods,” the official said.
A conservancy worker will be permitted to work eight hours for sweeping 500 metres of a road for a daily wage of Rs. 295. The initiative will increase the number of workers cleaning city streets on a day from 15,000 to more than 20,000.
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Night conservancy operations will also improve in neighbourhoods.
Last year, the civic body decided to use the services of workers on a part-time basis to improve conservancy operations. The plan is yet to take off. The civic body is yet to create a complete database of workers to improve utilisation of the wage employment scheme.