Panchayat sanitation workers intensify strike

Kothagudem: Intensifying their stir, the panchayat sanitation staff staged protests here in the coal town on Monday. Sporting black ribbons tied to their arms, the protesters kept their eyes closed to express their anger and resentment.

Earlier, they took out a rally demoing solution to their issues. They also submitted a memorandum to the statue of Ambedkar near the post office in the coal town.

Ever since the sanitation staff members are on strike, the whole district is stinking. Garbage is strewn on roads and streets and drains are overflowing. The residents are afraid that diseases may break out as bad smell emanating from the garbage mounds and stagnant water have entered the house and the whole environment is fill with foul smell.

In villages, residents are falling sick due to lack of cleanliness. The villagers are suffering from fever and hospitals are overcrowded with patients. According the sources, four people died due to fever in the district.

The sanitary Workers Sangham leader P.Srinivas demanded the district administration to solve their problems immediately. He criticised the government officials’ apathy. He said they are not responding to their appeals. He demanded the government to give better salaries to the workers.

“We are hoped for better salaries after the formation of Telangana State. But the TRS government disappointed them and did not give good salaries and addressed their other issues,” he said.

He expressed his anger as the panchayat staff are on strike for the last ten days protesting in front of the grama panchyat offices, but the government has not responded yet. The Sanitary staff Rama Rao, Laxmi,Reddy, Kanakraju, Srnivas, Raju, Das and other participated in the protest.