Safai karamcharis protest outside CM’s residence

Their strike demanding regularisation of workers, arrears enters 23rd day

   

The strike by safai karamcharis entered 23rd day on Thursday, with workers staging a demonstration in front of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.

The sanitation workers have been demanding regularisation of employees, payment of arrears and other benefits since they went on strike on September 12. As a consequence, garbage has been piling up on the streets of east Delhi.

Sanjay Gehlot of the MCD Safai Karamcharis Union said that the workers were willing to withdraw the strike if all employees hired up till 2017 were regularised.

While the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) passed a resolution to this effect in a House meeting on September 26, Corporation Commissioner Ranbir Singh had told The Hindu that doing so will add ₹250 crore to the annual wage bill and it will be imprudent to do so given the financial ramifications.

Assurance sought

“They should at least start the process or give us assurance. But we have been told that no action will be taken until the Corporation receives the money,” Mr. Gehlot said.

The Delhi government had on Wednesday assured the Supreme Court, where the matter of funding to be given to corporations is being heard, that it will release ₹500 crore to the Corporation in order to meet its immediate requirement.

Meanwhile, the EDMC commissioner has been placed on leave following a call by the political leadership of the Corporation to remove him for not complying with its demand.

B.S. Vohra of the East Delhi Residents’ Welfare Association Joint Front expressed concern over increasingly unhygienic conditions and possibility of increase in diseases.

“We have been taking our issue to everyone to get a solution to our problems but nothing is being done” he said.

with thanks: The Hindu: LINK

Does URGENTLY means 23 days of Garbage & stink in east Delhi ?

@ArvindKejriwal Delhi government said that it was ready to urgently release Rs 500 crore to civic bodies to facilitate payment of dues to the sanitation workers. SHOCKING - DOES URGENTLY MEANS - 23 DAYS OF GARBAGE & STINK IN EAST DELHI? #selfiewithgarbage #garbage #stink pic.twitter.com/GLkCUy8xhD

— B S Vohra (@vohrabs) October 4, 2018

Selfie with Garbage !

Delhi sanitation workers take 20-day-long protest to Arvind Kejriwal's residence, refuse to return to work until all demands are met

Demanding basic rights, job security and better working conditions, protesting East Delhi sanitation workers on Thursday took their agitation to Delhi chief minister's official residence, after their demands went unheard for the past 20 days.

The Delhi Police strengthened the bandobast outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence as hundreds of workers gathered there. The protesters tried to breach the police barricade and enter the chief minister's residence. However, the police managed to hold them off with mild baton charging.

Representational image. Firstpost/Naresh Sharma

The contractual workers, who clean tonnes of muck and filth produced in the national capital everyday, have been protesting for basic needs such as timely payment of wages and arrears, regularisation of workers enrolled after 1998 so that they can avail facilities like pension and healthcare benefits, and issuance of cashless medical cards as these people run the risk of contracting work hazard-related ailments.

The workers who have been on strike since 11 September, have refused to return to work until their demands are fulfilled by the corporation.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government said that it was ready to urgently release Rs 500 crore to civic bodies to facilitate payment of dues to the sanitation workers. However, both the Delhi government and the cash-strapped East Delhi Municipal Corporation remain mum on the workers primary demand: regularisation of about 3,000 contractual workers who were enrolled after 1998.

According to Hindustan Times, EDMC commissioner Ranbir Singh refused to regularise these workers citing that it will add a burden of about Rs 1,500 crore.

Residents, meanwhile, have been facing the brunt of the mess strewn on the streets of the national capital. Interestingly, all this comes at a time when the Centre was celebrating the Swachhta Pakhwara which culminated on Tuesday, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Angry residents even came up with a counter to the government's Swachhta hi seva campaign which was called 'Selfie with garbage'.

B S Vohra@vohrabs

@Outlookindia @firstpost @ariannahuff

SELFIE WITH GARBAGE - IT'S THE PROTEST AGAINST THE DIRTY POLITICS OF EAST DELHI #sanitationStrike #garbage #stink #Dengue #Cicicauthorities #civilsociety

https://

rwabhagidari.blogspot.com/2018/09/selfie

-with-garbage-its-protest-against.html 

…

10:54 PM - Sep 29, 2018

The East Delhi residents have been asking the civic agency to make temporary arrangements to end the mess. While the areas like Laxmi Nagar have been most affected by the situation, other areas like Ghazipur and Preet Vihar are also seeing heaps of garbage on both sides of the road increasing every day, DNA  reported.

EDMC generates about 2,600 tonnes of waste every day, of which around 1,800 to 2,000 tonnes are being regularly picked up from dhalaos, Hindustan Times reported. However, the municipal body couldn't make arrangements for picking up garbage from roads.

with thanks: First Post: Link

Expecting to meet the CM today - Sanitation crisis of East Delhi !

4th October 2018

Mr. Arvind Kejriwal,

CM, Delhi

Subject: Strike of the Sanitation workers in east Delhi

Dear Sir,

The situation of East Delhi is worsening day by day. It is the 23rd day of the strike of the Sanitation workers and the entire east Delhi is stinking with the Garbage littered all over. It's the alarming stage now as the residents of this part of the city are expecting the spread of some epidemic in the coming days. Please view some of our tweets as below:

Pathetic East Delhi - #selfiewithgarbage - 21 days of Strike of Sanitation workers #stinking #garbage #epidemic #shocking #environment #sanitationstrike #godsave #eastdelhi #shocking pic.twitter.com/xOzBuI6bf4

— B S Vohra (@vohrabs) October 1, 2018

#selfiewithgarbage It's trending now in East Delhi after 21 day's of Strike of Sanitation workers. #trending #trendingnow #stinking #garbage #sanitation #strike #godsave #eastdelhi #shocking pic.twitter.com/kzkhxIzbqR

— B S Vohra (@vohrabs) October 1, 2018

It is shocking that no one is willing to listen. 

We met the EDMC persons and they have told us very clearly, that they have received only Rs 590 crores from the Delhi Govt, while they have a due of Rs. 2,541.98 crores, for this year only, from the Delhi Government and hence they don't have the funds.

We met our Dy CM Mr. Manish Sisodia, 8 days ago and he said that all the due amount has already been paid. He promised to send the details of the payments done to the EDMC, but so far we are still awaiting the details.

Today, we are coming for a meeting with you with the high hopes for the City that is facing the worst ever crisis. On this 23rd day of the sanitation workers strike, things look horrible, giving the impression that probably, east Delhi is not a part of the National Capital. Shockingly, it has happened for the 8th time in a row, in a span of four years, while nothing constructive has been done to resolve the issue permanently. 

Therefore, can we expect from you, that being the CM of the entire city, you will come forward immediately, to rescue the eastern part of Delhi, from the clutches of the forthcoming epidemic?

Sir, You don't have any financial problem as, by the grace of the GST & Petrol, your revenues are already on the peak. In such circumstances, the small sums of a few hundred crores don't matter much to your Govt., but it can definitely stop the situation from deteriorating further.

May we request you to please share with us the details of Total payments due to the EDMC & actual payments made by the Delhi Government to EDMC to counter the claims of EDMC that they have got only Rs. 590 crores from you?

Moreover, we would like you to move forward for a Unified MCD so that this problem is resolved permanently, as there seems no other alternative, while the residents of EDMC are truly fed up of the routine strikes of the sanitation workers.

Looking forward to a Positive reply from the leader who had been voted to power by the entire city, with the absolute majority. 

With best regards,

B S Vohra,
President,
East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation
www.RWABhagidari.com
www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in
#selfiewithgarbage

Selfie with Garbage - #selfiewithgarbage

Can just hope that CM will be available tomorrow !

@ArvindKejriwal We will visit you tomorrow morning at 10 am to talk about the worsening situation of east Delhi due to the strike of the Sanitation workers. On the 22nd day today, things look horrible, giving the impression that east Delhi is not a part of the national capital. pic.twitter.com/tmyOe4a5Jl

— B S Vohra (@vohrabs) October 3, 2018

Garbage & Misery Piles up for East Delhi’s Residents - The Quint - #selfiewithgarbage

Sanitation strike : HT

Sanitation strike : TOI

East Delhi sanitation workers refuse to end strike until their demands are met

The demands of sanitation workers of east Delhi, who have been on strike since September 11, include regularisation of about 3,000 contractual workers who were enrolled after 1998, regular payment of salaries and clearance of dues.

As the city observed the fourth anniversary of the Swacchh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, the streets of east Delhi were strewn with garbage, lying on the roads since the past 22 days due to a strike by sanitation workers of the east Delhi municipal corporation (EDMC), which began on September 11.

The workers have refused to return to work until their demands are fulfilled by the corporation. The demands include regularisation of about 3,000 contractual workers who were enrolled after 1998, regular payment of salaries and clearance of dues.

Earlier, the striking workers had taken the matter to EDMC commissioner Ranbir Singh but did not get relief as the commissioner refused to regularise these workers, citing that it will add a burden of about Rs 1,500 crore on the cash-strapped municipal corporation.

The BJP-ruled EDMC opposed the commissioner’s decision and called a special house meeting for his impeachment on Monday. However, prior to the meeting, the EDMC commissioner went on leave.

The sanitation workers have decided to continue their strike.

“We never wanted the commissioner to get a transfer or face an impeachment order. We will continue our strike unless we get a solution. The agitating workers will not sweep roads, pick up garbage and gather outside the EDMC headquarters on Wednesday,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of the MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union (MCDSKU).

Residents, meanwhile, said they want the civic agency to make temporary arrangements to end the mess. “The streets are stinking and garbage is all over the place. To end the nuisance, at least some temporary arrangement for lifting garbage should be made,” BS Vohra, a resident of Krishna Nagar, said.

In last three and half years, sanitation workers of the EDMC have struck work six times for non-payment of salaries, arrears, cashless insurance and other demands.

Gehlot said that though the Union government is spending crores of rupees in the name of “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, no one was bothered about the plight of the sanitation employees who work in very unhygienic conditions.

“We didn’t participate in the cleanliness drive to mark Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2,” said Sanjit Chandel, president of the Delhi Pradesh Safai Mazdoor Union.

EDMC generates about 2,600 tonnes of waste every day. “Due to the strike, we are able to lift 1800-2000 tonne of garbage from dhalaos. But no arrangement could be made for lifting garbage from roads,” said a senior official from the department of environment management services.

with thanks: HT: Link