Permanent jobs, better pays: This is how Bengaluru's manhole cleaners are lured to clean the gutters

The BWSSB manhole cleaners were promised they would made permanent employees in 2016. They were promised better pay and better facilities. But no welfare measure has been introduced till now.

The scavengers in BWSSB who were supposed to be made permanent employees in 2016 itself will be delayed further for a year as the contractor's lobby is pressurising the government. The word has it that the Congress government in the state also wants to keep this as an election agenda. 

Ramulu ( name changed) who works with BWSSB on contract basis in extension areas says, he has to accompany the jetting machine team to clear the blocked sewage lines. 

Working with BWSSB for over 8 years, Ramulu hoped to become a permanent employee and get better wages and facilities like other government employees but that it is likely to get delayed for another year.

"Last year, we were promised the permanent employee status but now no one is talking about it. We were told that contractors lobby had paid huge amount for maintenance of sewage lines in Urban areas to the top officials and hence want to delay the process of regularisation of service,"  he said.

"After years of struggle and activism, the government took a decision in cabinet last year in June to regularise the service, " said Siddarth who works with Tamate an organisation working for the welfare and rehabilitation of scavengers and safai karmacharies.  

The government had promised to make all the temporary workers, permanent government employees with better facilities by March 2017, he said.

"Now, it is April and the government has failed to do anything about the issue,"  he added.

When Asianet Newsable contacted BWSSB Administrator, Jagadish said this is a policy matter and based on the government rules and order we can only regularise 400 scavengers working on contract with BWSSB as permanent employees.

But in reality none that too has happened. According to reports, there are 302 scavengers, other than BWSSB in urban areas and 446 in rural areas are doing this work of scavenging.