The Karnataka government has granted permanent employment to over 12,650 pourakarmikas (civic workers) affiliated with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on May 1.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah handed over appointment letters to 12,692 workers, who were selected through a special recruitment process. He also shared plans to regularise about 9,000 vehicle drivers, helpers, and operators in the near future.
Siddaramaiah recalled how, during his previous term as Chief Minister, he had worked to free civic workers from middlemen, raising their wages from Rs 7,000 to Rs 17,000 and ensuring direct bank transfers.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was also present at the event. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar praised the workers for their vital role in maintaining the city’s cleanliness. “You are the custodians of Bengaluru's cleanliness, and your efforts have garnered global acclaim.,” he said.
Shivakumar also said that the government had fulfilled a key promise made during the election, which was to make contract pourakarmikas permanent employees.
The move follows a long protest that began in 2013. After the Chandrashekhar Committee's 2013 recommendations and ongoing demands for their full implementation, the Congress government decided in 2016 to regularise all pourakarmikas. This decision is now being partially carried out.
Before 2016, sweepers and waste collectors worked under contractors, facing issues like double billing and mismanagement of funds. The BBMP introduced biometric authentication, reducing the number of pourakarmikas from 32,000 to about 18,000. Instead of following the Cabinet's original plan, the workers were placed under a Direct Payment System (DPS, receiving minimum wages, a hardship allowance, and benefits such as EPF, gratuity, and health insurance.