Chandigarh, May 11 (PTI) With sanitation workers in Haryana on strike in support of their various demands, opposition on Monday alleged that the situation across the state is in a deplorable condition with piles of garbage piling up and blamed the state government for failing to resolve the issue.
The sanitation workers, under the banner of Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh, on Monday announced to extend their strike till May 14 and blamed the state government for not addressing their concerns.
Subhash Lamba, president of All India State Government Employees Federation demanded that the government should immediately to hold talks with the leadership of the striking employees, to resolve their demands.
Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the sanitation situation across the entire state is in a deplorable condition.
“Piles of garbage have accumulated everywhere, with waste lying scattered across roads and streets,” the Leader of Opposition in Haryana, said.
Despite this alarming situation, the BJP government remains oblivious, turning a blind eye to the crisis, the Congress leader alleged.
Hooda expressed his support for the demands of the sanitation workers and stated that the employees’ demands are legitimate and urged the government to initiate dialogue with immediate effect.
Among the demands of the sanitation workers include regularisation of contractual staff, implementation of minimum wages and fulfilment of long-pending demands of fire service employees.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the BJP government in the state of adopting stubborn attitude towards the demands of the striking workers.
Surjewala said that in Gurugram alone, more than 3,500 metric tons of garbage is rotting on the roads, major residential colonies and intersections.
The garbage scattered everywhere has created an immediate threat of the spread of deadly epidemics like dengue and malaria, he said.
By ignoring the legitimate demands of sanitation workers, the government has put the lives of millions at risk, he alleged.
Congress leader Brijendra Singh alleged that Haryana is on the verge of a health emergency as tons of garbage are heaping on roads due to the sanitation workers’ strike including in Gurugram, Hisar, Faridabad, and other cities.
He said Haryana government should immediately step in to resolve this crisis. Any carelessness would cost dearly if an epidemic breaks out, he said.
State President of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana, Naresh Shastri accused the government of adopting a stubborn attitude towards the striking workers demands.
He stated that the Municipal Employees Union has decided to extend the strike until May 14.
Shastri asked the government: “if contractual systems have been abolished in all other departments, why does it persist for sanitation workers? If some recruitments were made for Group D and C employees across various departments, why were permanent positions not created for sanitation workers? Why has the government failed to fulfill the promise made in its 2014 election manifesto to regularize the services of sanitation workers?” As the strike continued heaps of garbage piled up in markets and along roads in different parts of the state, with sanitation workers taking out a protest march at some places and women workers staging a “Thali Bajao, Sarkar Jagao” protest.
Congress’ Bhupinder Hooda said he supports the demands of the sanitation workers, and emphasized that the strike should be brought to an end by the government by accepting their demands.
Hooda also said as piles of garbage have accumulated everywhere, with waste lying scattered across roads and streets, compounding this is the impact of the rains, creating a looming threat of the outbreak of serious diseases.
Hooda alleged the state government is turning a blind eye to the crisis.
“This constitutes not merely an act of injustice against sanitation workers, but rather a reckless compromise with the health and well-being of the entire state of Haryana,” Hooda said.
During the tenure of the then Congress government, 10,000 rural and 11,000 urban sanitation workers were recruited, he said.
“However, it is unfortunate that the BJP government’far from undertaking new recruitments’has failed to even take cognizance of the existing workers’ demands,” he added. PIT SUN NB NB
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