Sanitation workers in the Amaravati capital region are sayin that they haven't received their salaries for almost four months, at a time when the pandemic has left people financially vulnerable.
CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) Rajadhani Division Committee President Ravi said that nearly 550 sanitation workers outsourced by the APCRDA (AP Capital Region Development Authority), to work in the 29 capital area villages, have not received their salaries in four months. “The workers perform the same duties as the sanitation workers hired by gram panchayats, but their salaries come from CRDA. Not only have they not received any protective gear during the pandemic, but their salaries have also been delayed,” Ravi said.
Telugu Desam Party General Secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh wrote to Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, asking that the workers’ arrears be cleared. “In our fight against COVID-19, Health and Sanitation workers are risking their lives and executing their duties even during these tough times. It is very much visible that the state government already failed to provide Personal Protection Equipment kits to our sanitation workers which is increasing their risk for COVID-19. But still they are attending their duties, many of the times stretching their usual working hours,” Lokesh wrote.
Several workers gathered near the Penumaka panchayat office and other locations in the capital region on Friday morning to demand their salaries.
“With government machinery not responding to the multiple pleas they made, sitting on a strike during these pandemic days became their last resort,” Lokesh wrote in his letter.
The workers usually earn upto Rs 8,600 per month after deductions.
According to Ravi, the management of the contracting agency SK Vali Enterprises, has claimed that they couldn’t pay the salaries as the cheques hadn’t been cleared by the CRDA.
CRDA Commissioner P Lakshmi Narasimham said that the salary amount is under process and will be disbursed soon.