They have no identity cards or address proof, yet they get paid
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Hyderabad: Close to 3,000 bogus sanitation workers are drawing salaries from the GHMC. There is no identity card or address, no proof to identify the bogus workers. The contractor takes a major share of the salary drawn from such employees.
Most of the workers are either recommended by corporators or their henchmen. The state government per month with the revised pay spends Rs 40.5 crore plus on salaries of sanitation workers. Though their job timings are six hours, they pack up in less than four hours. In many colonies they pester the residents for extra money, Rs 100 per house per month. The money is given to the team leader and distributed. There is no inspection done by the heads of their performance.
The GHMC engages over 27,000 workers to sweep, lift and transport on contract basis through a package as the corporation has only 7,000 permanent workers in entire Greater Hyderabad. The state government recently increased wages by 47.05 per cent. As per the revised pay, a worker who received a salary of Rs 8,500 will hereafter get Rs 12,500.
Salaries of some workers, including drivers, were increased to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,200. However, nearly 15 to 20 per cent workers promptly get their salaries without ensuring that roads are cleaned every day. Colonies like Karwan, Vijayanagar Colony, Nanalnagar, Ziaguda, Red Hills, Asifnagar, Tolichowki, Mehdipatnam, Langar Houz, Shaikpet and Golconda do not have designated sweepers.
The gross irregularities in sweeping work came to light when TS Chief Minister visited Mamthanagar — LB Nagar municipality and was briefed by the residents that for years together no sweepers were allocated to their colony. On an average day, out of the entire sweeping units — each unit comprises 18 workers — 12 to 15 per cent are absent on field but marked present on record. Some circles are so neglected that the absenteeism is as high as 25 per cent, said a source.
“They demand Rs 100 per house and the resident who refuses to give money has to contend with their portion left unswept. Every month the team head comes to the RWA’s head and collects money. In my colony there are 300 houses and we pay Rs 3,000 per month. We have never seen any supervisor on the rounds,” said Kapra municipality resident T. Naveena.
To check cleanliness, former GHMC commissioner Sameer Sharma had introduced Off Site Real Time method where the sanitary supervisor had to take photographs of bins cleaned and workers while sweeping with his mobile and send the mail to the officer concerned. However today it is no longer followed.
When contacted the health and sanitation wing officials said, “GHMC will start surprise inspections and contracts would be cancelled where less number of workers are engaged than required.”
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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