For representational purposes (File | EPS)
For representational purposes (File | EPS)

Manual scavenging: Corporation chief suspends 2 engineers

Officials were flummoxed when Corporation Commissioner S Sivasubramaniam on Tuesday issued an order placing under immediate suspension two engineers for dereliction of duty.

TIRUCHY: Officials were flummoxed when Corporation Commissioner S Sivasubramaniam on Tuesday issued an order placing under immediate suspension two engineers for dereliction of duty.

The action was taken after the Corporation Commissioner received a complaint on his WhatsApp number about manual scavenging.

A photograph of a worker cleaning a manhole was attached. Considered to be a strict administrator, Sivasubramaniam immediately placed under suspension an assistant executive engineer and junior engineer in K Abishekapuram zone from where the incident was reported. Inquiries, however, revealed that the photograph was several months old.

The complainant turned up at the Corporation office and apologised for sending an old picture to the Commissioner. When TNIE contacted the complainant, he admitted it was an old photograph.

As news spread, the Corporation office was abuzz with employees discussing the issue. The Commissioner’s reasoning was that he wanted to send a strong message to staff that manual scavenging would not be tolerated.

Several senior officials said the stern action taken by Sivasubramaniam has increased the alertness of ground-level officials. Sources pointed out the challenges in preventing manual scavenging. “The Corporation allots cleaning jobs to contractors, who select daily labourers, who sometimes engaged in manual scavenging,” an official said.

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