JOIN USAbout 150 members of the Contract Workers' Association and the Lorry Owners' Association protested in front of the BBMP office on Monday over the cut in their payment.
They were led by Padmanabha Reddy, leader of the Opposition in the BBMP Council, who is from the BJP. The BBMP council is ruled by the Congress-JD(S) combine.
After the rollout of GST, the BBMP has to pay Rs 200 crore to the government. The BBMP, in turn, is holding back about 20% from what is due to contractors, Reddy said. "We are against this," he told DH.
The government suspects a conspiracy to obstruct garbage clearance. H Anjaneya, the social welfare minister, said: “Contractors are forcing workers to go home. We have brought this to the notice of the BBMP commissioner.”
But Reddy said: "Either appoint new contractors or remove the garbage yourself."
Balasubramanyam, the chairman of the Contract Workers' Association, said the BBMP was being unreasonable. "How can we pay GST when we have not collected it?" he said.