Sanitation funds go missing in GHMC

Hyderabad: Sanitation workers of the GHMC continue to work under difficult conditions. Though the officials claim that they have been procuring equipment that was necessary for the sanitation workers, the workers allege that nothing of the sort has been happening and the GHMC has not been supplying soap, face masks, shoes, hand gloves, oil and other material to them.

The sanitation workers allege that the higher authorities have been claiming bills to the tune of Rs 80 lakh annually in the name of providing material required for the sanitation workers. The field staff was not getting the material, they say. According to the GHMC officials, there are about 20,000 permanent employees and 18,632 outsourcing employees in the sanitation wing.

The corporation claims it has been spending Rs 86, 60, 946 to provide soaps (Rs 31, 12,872), coconut oil (Rs 42,140,24), pair of shoes (Rs 39,800), sandals (Rs 11,856) and chappals (Rs 59,590) for male workers and chappals for female workers (Rs 3,24,800). The officials claim that the assistant medical officers for health (AMOH) have been distributing them once every two months.

On the contrary, the sanitation workers allege that they have not received any sort of facilities from the corporation. A Mallamma (name changed on request), a 40-year-old sanitation worker, said the corporation for the last one year had not provided her with hand gloves, oil or chappals. When asked for the facilities, the local AMOH threatened her to remove her name from the roles, she alleged. Without safety gear, it becomes a very difficult task for them to work in the dusty areas.

Even masks are not being supplied, she said. Echoing her concern, P Swamy, another worker, said the local authorities have been postponing the distribution of shoes, hand gloves and other facilities. He said the health of sanitation workers was at high risk. Reacting on the same subject, TRS KV GHMEU president U Gopal alleged that the sanitation wing officials have been swindling Rs 80 lakh annually.

He said life of the sanitation workers is at high risk. He alleged that the corporation officials for the past several years have been getting work done without providing basic facilities. He asked the GHMC to provide facilities to sanitation workers immediately.

When asked about the issue, health and sanitation wing additional commissioner N Ravi Kiran said it was a fact that the corporation has been buying required material and providing all sorts of facilities to permanent sanitation workers, while the outsourcing staff is given face masks, radium jackets and hand gloves only. But the workers refuted the claims.

He said the sanitation wing would conduct awareness campaign for all sanitation workers and educate them about the use of hand gloves, masks and other facilities. He said the GHMC in future would enhance the basis facilities to both outsourcing and permanent employees.

By Maddy Deekshith