COIMBATORE: Tribal people employed as sanitation workers in the Maruthamalai temple continued their strike on the third day Monday condemning HR&CE department for allegedly appointing new staff for the work. With sanitation workers on strike, garbage piled up around the temple.
On Monday, heap of wastes, particularly, the thonnai cups in which prasadam is distributed to devotees in the temple, was seen at several places around the temple. According to sources, the garbage was not cleared on Saturday and Sunday. With food waste accumulating, and foul smell engulfing the area, there is a high chance for escalation of human-animal conflict, locals fear.
The tribals said they were employed as sanitation workers a decade ago for salary of Rs 300 a day. The HR&CE officials have now appointed additional staff recently from outside the tribal hamlet, they said. "We fear we will lose the job soon since the officials have appointed additional staff for the same work," a tribal woman said.
However, HRCE officials denied the allegations. "Currently, 16 sanitary workers have been appointed on a daily wage basis. However, all of them were on a mass leave from May 29 to June 4 following their temple festival. As a result, we have involved people from outside to clear the waste. As said by the tribal, we are not appointing any additional staff," said a senior forest department official of HRCE