BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of contractual sanitation workers in south zone of the city have stopped performing their duty from Saturday demanding hike in daily wage.
The workers engaged by sanitation agency Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited alleged that they are being paid between Rs 190 and Rs 220 per day against the minimum wage of 298 as fixed by the State Government.
They accused both Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the agency of depriving them of minimum wage.
The sanitation workers agitating under the banner of Bhubaneswar Asthai Safei Karmachari Sangha said though they have urged the civic body and the agency several times to enhance the wage, their grievance has fallen on deaf ears.
The BMC has engaged three sanitation agencies, Jagruti Welfare Organisation, Ramky and PMR Consortium, for better management of sanitation in the city. Around 1,200 sanitation labourers are working under Jagruti, while 700 in Ramky and 650 in PMR on contractual basis.
An employee of the sanitation agency said, “We are paying Rs 224 to each worker against the BMC’s allotment of Rs 150 per worker. Though there is a provision for escalation of rate with respect to labour, fuel, repair, maintenance and replacement components, BMC officials are taking no measures.”