BRS flags salary delays of sanitation workers in merged GHMC areas
HYDERABAD: Raising serious concerns over the financial plight of sanitation workers, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has urged the state government to immediately intervene and clear the pending salaries of outsourcing staff in municipalities merged into the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
In a letter to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, BRS Manikonda President Sitaram Dhulipala highlighted that nearly 400 outsourcing sanitation and municipal workers in the Narsingi Circle alone face severe hardship because of salary delays of 20 to 25 days each month. He noted that this issue is prevalent across areas recently merged into GHMC and reorganized under new corporations such as Cyberabad.
“Most of these workers belong to economically weaker sections, and their livelihoods entirely depend on these wages. Continuous delays in salary payments are pushing their families into serious financial distress,” Dhulipala stated in the letter, which was also sent to the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of MAUD.
The representation comes as the government has announced the 99 Days Garbage Free Program to improve urban sanitation. The BRS leader pointed out the irony of expecting better sanitation outcomes while failing to ensure timely payment of wages to the workforce responsible.
“While the Government expects improved sanitation outcomes under the 99 Days Program, it is unfortunate that the basic right of these workers, timely payment of their wages, is not being ensured. Without paying their salaries on time, placing additional workload on them under special programs is neither fair nor humane,” the letter read.
The party has also received reports of insufficient funds for maintaining vehicles used for daily sanitation activities, leading to poor upkeep of infrastructure and reduced service efficiency.
Urging the government to take immediate action, the BRS has put forth a five-point demand: immediate release of pending salaries for outsourcing sanitation and municipal staff, regular and timely payment of monthly salaries, provision of adequate funds for maintaining sanitation vehicles and essential infrastructure, protection of the dignity and livelihood of sanitation workers, and immediate release of all pending wage arrears for outsourcing staff, some of whom reportedly have not received their salaries even after the merger into GHMC.
“Resolving this issue urgently will provide relief to hundreds of workers and their families and help ensure effective implementation of sanitation programs,” Dhulipala added, appealing to the government’s commitment to supporting weaker sections.
