BENGALURU: Over the past week, The New Indian Express told six tales of different pourakarmikas struggling to make ends meet, even as they dream of a life that affords them respect instead of disdain.
While the government seems to have woken up and promised action, the daily life of a pourakarmika remains devoid of any hope. Being forced to clean the streets of a highly polluted city without safety equipment has taken a toll on the health of these employees.
While many, like 45-year old Shankaramma, suffer from health ailments from lack of lavatories, other pourakarmikas such as Kondamma face respiratory ailments as they breathe in the city’s toxic fumes while keeping the streets clean. For others, getting to work means having to let their children sleep by the road as their working days start before anganwadis open. For almost all, the most instense pain comes from the utter disregard on the part of the government in ensuring that their salaries reach them on time.
Despite assurances over the years – often triggered by protests or deaths of pourakarmikas – little appears to have changed. The disparity between permanent and temporary workers have not helped them, as one section of workers live in perpetual fear of being laid off. A situation far worse than their already poor counterparts.
The state government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike have the most important role to play in improving their lives. Though several schemes have been announced over the years, lack of will by agencies in implementing them and lack of awareness among pourakarmikas in availing these facilities have affected them.
While BBMP Councillors recently did not bat an eye before pledging a month’s salary for the farm loan waiver, no such help has been forthcoming for their own staff. It is imperative upon the government to come up with a comprehensive welfare scheme for the pourakarmikas – permanent or otherwise. Considering the health hazards the state should ensure free health care for all the workers for the ailments faced by them and their families.
Strict implementation of regular health check-ups for the pourakarmikas at regular intervals will prevent major diseases, treating which often consumes all their savings.
While the economic welfare of the workers can be achieved by civic bodies, civil society should step in to address the stigma faced by them. A sustained campaign by the government is the need of the day to ensure they are treated with respect.
Reader offers job
In one part of the series, TNIE had carried an article about 22-year old Yankamma, who takes her son to work as there is no one to take care of him in her little house. Her five-year-old son either sleeps or plays on footpaths. A reader, Meera, a senior citizen from Frazer Town, called to offer a job to Yankamma. “She needs time to spend with her son. There is a garden in our apartment, she can work there. She can even do household jobs for me. I am ready to pay her well on a daily basis,’’ she said.
MEDICAL HELP EXTENDED
On July 25, we reported the plight of 45-year-old Shankaramma, a pourakarmika in Doddanekundi ward. She was suffering from kidney stones.
On July 30, 56-year-old Bheemappa, Shankaramma’s husband, also a pourakarmika, called the TNIE office that his wife had severe pain and needed an ESI card, which every pourakarmika is entitled to.
On calling the Joint Commissioner of Mahadevapura Zone, Vasantha Kumari immediately recognised the TNIE report and called the health inspector.
By 6 pm on Monday, Shankaramma had her ESI card. She can opt for operation if needed.