The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : GHMC workers to get wages from bank

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Thursday, Mar 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

GHMC workers to get wages from bank

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: About 13,000 sanitation workers working on contract basis in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) would be paid their salaries through bank to avoid exploitation by middlemen.

Municipal Administration Minister Koneru Ranga Rao informed this to the Assembly during question hour on Wednesday when BJP member G. Kishan Reddy complained that contractors and officials were cutting into the earnings of sanitation workers. Against a gross pay of Rs. 2,886, Mr. Reddy said the workers were taking home a mere Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 1,600 a month. They did not get salaries for four to five months sometimes. They were liable to a provident fund deduction of 12 per cent and contribution to Employees State Insurance up to 1.75 per cent of the wages. He also said that the municipal workers in several towns were paid wages through banks.

The BJP members deplored the failure of contractors to supply brooms to women sweepers.

They were not entitled to weekly off nor allowances to meet bus fare. They had to work overnight and were also exposed to unhygienic conditions.

The Minister said 227 contractors employed 12,875 sanitation workers. They were divided into 395 units with each unit responsible to clean roads up to eight km. The bills of contractors would be cleared only if they submitted copies of cheques and vouchers to the corporation.

In reply to a separate question, Mr. Rao said a swimming pool of international standards being constructed by GHMC at Amberpet would be completed shortly.

He said the work on it which started in 2005 was delayed for funds. A sum of Rs. 2.5 crore was spent on it so far and another Rs. 1 crore was required.

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