Government should pay 400 a day to sanitary workers

Vijayawada: CPM Capital Region Committee convener Ch Baburao here on Wednesday demanded that the government pay Rs 400 wages to the sanitation workers per day who are working at the ghats.

Baburao, responding to a news report published in these columns, visited the Padmavathi, Krishnaveni, Durga, Punnami and Bhavani ghats in the city, along with his party workers, and interacted with the sanitation workers on their problems.The CPM leader asked the sanitation workers about the working hours, wages, payment system, accommodation and food facilities.

Speaking on the occasion, Baburao said that the government allotted sanitation work to the private contractors by paying Rs 400 a day to each worker. But the contractor agreed to pay only Rs 300, he said and regretted that even that amount was not paid to them till date i.e; since August 10.

Krishana Pushkaralu arrangements were made by the government in a hurry which resulted in a huge waste of public money, he said and added that several works were yet to be completed. He said that the government had deliberately delayed the works though it knew that Pushkaralu begin in August. He alleged that the government had assigned the works to the ruling party leaders.

The CPM leader expressed concern over the non-payment of wages to the workers. He demanded that the government make contractor pay wages to the workers every day at the end of their shift. This payment, too, should be made in the presence of the municipal officials, he said.

Interestingly, when the CPM leader reached the ghats, the sanitation workers rushed to him pouring out their problems. Later, Baburao suggested to them not to accept less than Rs 400 per shift and insist on paying the wages at the end of the shift. CPM leader and former corporator B Satya Babu and CPM I town leader U V Rama Raju were also present.