Members of the Dharwad District Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Civic Workers and Employees Association have initiated a resolute, indefinite protest in Dharwad. Their primary demands are for direct recruitment into the municipal corporation and the timely payment of wages, in strict adherence to a standing Government Order.
The round-the-clock demonstration, a “day-and-night dharna,” is taking place directly in front of the municipal corporation’s office in Dharwad. Participants are vocally condemning both the municipal corporation and the State government for their persistent failure to resolve these critical and long-standing issues affecting civic workers.
The agitating workers highlight a stark discrepancy: while ten other municipal corporations across the State have already terminated outsourcing contracts for sanitation services, the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has conspicuously disregarded a government directive. Instead, it continues to endorse the problematic practice of outsourcing.
District president Vijay Guntral, a key figure in the protest, underscored that as early as October 10, 2023, the municipal corporation’s general body passed a resolution endorsing direct wage payments for 799 outsourced civic workers. However, he lamented that this crucial resolution was later overturned by the Secretary of the Urban Development Department, reportedly succumbing to external political pressures.
The protestors passionately argued that the current pourakarmikas (civic workers) are operating under immense stress and the constant dread of job loss due to the precarious nature of outsourced contracts. They are urging the State government to act decisively by immediately abolishing outsourcing arrangements and implementing direct recruitment for all civic workers.
Prominent community leaders such as Gangamma Sidramapur and Kanakappa Kotabagi are leading this impactful protest. They further revealed the severe consequences of these unfair practices, citing a tragic instance where a pourakarmika attempted suicide due to relentless harassment from outsourcing agencies.