BMC sanitary workers stage cease-work protest in Bhubaneswar, waste pick up disrupted

Disrupting sanitation in the Smart City, sanitary workers under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) staged a cease-work protest on Monday.

Hundreds of sanitary workers gathered under the Rajmahal overbridge and staged the protest. Their demands included salary hike to Rs 15,000 and no to waste segregation.

They alleged that the government and the BMC have turned a deaf ear to their demands even after repeated requests to hike their salary.

“We want Rs 15000 salary per month. And we will not segregate waste. BMC should employ different people to segregate the dry waste from wet waste. The government has increased salary of almost all the departments, then why not us. We work outside in the scorching heat. But the government has not done anything for us,” alleged a protesting sanitary worker.

Also Read | Khordha-Bolangir railway project and seven tunnels: No Uttarkashi-like situation here, says Deputy Chief Engineer

Another protester said, “We work for the cleanliness of the City. But we do not even get gloves, or soap. We will not pick up garbage from the city. The authorities should feel our plight as well. They should know how it feels to stay in an unclean city.”

They threatened to not go to work until their demands are met. The strike has disrupted sanitation works in around 53 wards of the Capital City.