Claiming that a major section of the striking sanitation workers has resumed work, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Wednesday said that the garbage accumulated in the last nine days in the city would be cleared by Thursday evening.
However, trade unions spearheading the agitation dismissed the claim and said most of the workers were still on strike which would be intensified further.
GHMC Commissioner and Special Officer Somesh Kumar claimed around 17,000 of the 18,000 plus sweepers returned to duty along with 933 of the 942 Sanitary Field Assistants (SFA) while five of the field assistants who failed to report were removed from their jobs. Strict action was also being initiated against 28 drivers who tried to obstruct workers from joining duty, he said.
The civic body maintained that nearly 3,600 Million Tonnes (MTs) of garbage from the city was cleared on Tuesday and another 3,036 MT was removed till Wednesday afternoon. Apart from 397 GHMC vehicles, 183 hired vehicles and 416 vehicles of Swachh units were deployed to clear the garbage, he said.
Mr. Somesh Kumar said a special officer for each of the circle was appointed to monitor garbage clearance and attendance of workers. “The GHMC workers are not keen on continuing with the strike, but only some unions led by outsiders are agitating,” he charged, adding that few incidents of the municipal sanitation workers being obstructed and attacked were reported and strict action would be taken against such persons.
The Municipal JAC representatives, however, brushed aside the Commissioner’s statements on over 90 per cent workers reporting back to work since Tuesday. “False information is being spread with the hope of breaking our agitation. As per our information, only 3,200 sanitation staff, mainly the permanent employees and hired help, were on duty on Wednesday,” said Paladugu Bhaskar, State Secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
The unions which met again on Wednesday decided to intensify the agitation and the Left parties extended their support for the same. Leaders of CPI and CPI (M), including Chada Venkat Reddy and T. Veerabhadram, addressed the municipal workers at Indira Park in the afternoon.
In the evening, mild tension prevailed at Indira Park as the police dispersed the GHMC workers. They asked the union leaders to end their protest as they were given time to do so only till 5 p.m. The leaders and workers refused to disperse which forced the police to physically remove them from the venue.
