BBMP has Rs 9 crore for sweeping machines while pourakarmikas still wait for Rs 14,000
- BBMP has got new eight sweeping machines brought by spending Rs 9.6 crore
- ‘Cash trapped’ BBMP had not spent Rs 12,000 on putting garbage traps, which took one life recently
- BBMP’s manual sweepers are also waiting for their Rs 14,000 salaries
- BBMP is spending crores on sweeping machines
FollowBengaluru has got the crores worth machines to clean the roads of the city. The Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has spent Rs 9.60 crore to purchase eight sweeping machines. Interesting that BBMP has crores to be paid for these machines but no money to pay the pourakarmikas who do the same job.
Is getting these sweeping machines the pressing job in Bengaluru? The city is in actually a sad state of affair. The drains are not planned, and the practice of making people getting into the acid and dirt-filled drains is still alive, whereas there is an urgent need to get machines to clean the drains.
In the recent rains, Shanthakumar, who was assigned to clean a drain was washed away, and he is still not traceable. Experts had said that a work of mere Rs 12,000 would have saved the life of Shanthakumar. But BBMP has not given any thought over it. In fact, the experts have told the Newsable that, spending some Rs 12,000 to put steel silt and garbage traps, which could have prevented the tragedy.
The BBMP, which is trying to trace Shanthkumar, the silt-excavator swept away while working in the storm water drain near Kuruburahalli, should be held responsible for his death, as they failed to put up garbage and silt traps in the drains.
However, now we have Rs 9 crore worth sweeping machines to adorn the city of Bengaluru. Authorities claim that one machine can handle the work of 100 pourakarmikas. So, eight machines will snatch away the work of 800 pourakarmikas. Will these pourakarmikas be provided alternate jobs?
It can be remembered that pourakarmikas had to state protests for months together to get a basic salary hike to Rs 14,000. After waiting for months, the order is out that the pourakarmikas should be paid Rs 14,000 salary. But it has been months since the workers are waiting for their salary according to new scales.
The BBMP is facing a cash crunch and finds it difficult to pay the pourakarmikas their salaries. Then how is it that it had scope to pay Rs 9.60 crore for the sweeping machines. Hope these machines will only sweep the roads and not the entire BBMP administration.
