Consensus on some demands of Safai Karamcharis

CHANDIGARH, MAY 16

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that consensus has been reached on some demands of Safai Karamcharis. He was hopeful that they would call off their strike.

          Mr Manohar Lal who was addressing a press conference here today was asked to comment on the ongoing strike of Safai Karamcharis in the State.  Earlier in the day, he held a meeting with different employees unions.

          The Chief Minister said that we have assured the Unions that all their genuine issues would be sorted out within next eight days. As agreement has already been reached between the government and the Safai Karamchari Unions on some demands, they have sought time till the evening to inform the State government about their decision. He hoped that the Safai Karamchari would call off their strike in public interest.

          Later while interacting with the media persons, Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister, Mrs. Kavita Jain said that the meeting with employee leaders was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal and the Safai Karamchari Union affiliated with Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has agreed to call off their strike.

        The Minister said that the State Government has decided to constitute a committee on Equal Pay for Equal Work under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary. The Committee would submit its report before May 31, 2018.

        She said that it has been decided to enhance the safai vishesh bhatta from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000. It was also decided that no new outsourcing contracts on supply of safai karamcharis or sewermen would be done in future by any ULB and also the present outsourcing policy contracts would continue till the date of its expiry and thereupon, the outsourced manpower would be shifted to the municipal rolls. From now onward, the PF and ESI would be directly deposited by the ULBs in the accounts of the individual employees and a vigilance enquiry be conducted on the non-description of PF and ESI in the accounts of various employees by the concerned contractors.

        Mrs. Jain said that regarding the issue of outsourced fire staff, there are 1366 drivers and firemen at present in the outsource category, of which 365 are drivers and 1001 are firemen. Under the new service rules, fire operators have to have three qualifications including ten plus two pass, heavy duty driving license and basic course of fire fighting. Out of 1355, 559 have all these three basic qualifications and qualify for applying to HSSC which has advertised 1646 posts of fire operators. The remaining 807 do not fulfil the requisite qualifications on at least one of the three grounds.

          Accordingly, it was decided that HSSC may be requested to re-advertise the posts carrying the amendments that if anyone provides an affidavit that they would clear the ten plus two standard within two years of the appointment and would obtain the heavy duty driving license and pass the basic course of fire fighting within one year of the appointment, then subject to this affidavit, they may be made eligible for applying to the post. Also for experience, one mark for every one year of completed service or experience would be given. Till the fulfilment of these conditions, these employees would be on probation, she added.

INTEREST FREE LOANS: The  Haryana Government has decided to grant an interest free advance of Rs 17,000 to its all Class IV employees in the state who wish to buy wheat during the year 2018-19.

          While stating this here today, Finance Minister, Capt. Abhimanyu said that the loan would be recovered in monthly installments to be fixed by the Department concerned so as to effect its full recovery before March 31, 2019. The advance would be sanctioned by the Drawing and Disbursing Officers concerned. In the case of temporary employees, advance would be allowed on the basis of a surety to their satisfaction so that it is fully secured and its recovery ensured from the loanee before the close of the financial year 2018-19.

          In case both husband and wife are employed, the wheat advance will be allowed to only one of them. The recovery of first installment of the advance would preferably be made from the pay for the month of July 2018, he added.

---balbirsingh227@gmail.com