VELLORE: Workers of Domestic Breeding Checker (DBC) on Monday petitioned Collector V R Subbulaxmi, requesting a wage hike from the current Rs 325 per day to Rs 529 per day, citing an order copy of district administration dated June 3, 2024.
Speaking to TNIE, the workers said that around 140 DBC workers are employed across various zones in the district. Each day, they are required to visit a village or a neighbourhood and inspect at least 50 to 60 houses for dengue-breeding mosquitoes.
“We travel at least 50 kilometers a day, and we are not given any separate allowance for travel. Although buses are an option, they are often unavailable when we need them. So we end up relying on our own vehicles,” said one worker on the condition of anonymity.
As a result, they spend around Rs 100 per day on petrol alone. The worker added that if the revised wage is implemented, it would help cover travel and other necessary expenses.
The workers, affiliated with the Vellore Mavattam Dengue Kosu Olippu Kala Paniyarlargal Sangam, said they also spray anti-mosquito repellents and assist people who are attacked by animals.
“As dengue mosquitoes can breed in stagnant water left even inside homes for over five days, we are employed year-round. Our wages are fixed by the district administration,” another worker said.
The workers said they told the collector that DBC workers in other districts receive daily wages as high as Rs 700, and urged for the revised wage in Vellore to be enforced. They said the collector assured them that the matter would be looked into.