New law for pourakarmikas: Karnataka CM

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the government will bring in a new law to “secure the welfare, health and education” of pourakarmikas, even as he expressed confidence that they will withdraw their stir.

The Safai Karamchari and Pourakarmika Association is staging a protest demanding permanent employment for all sanitation workers.

Speaking to reporters, Bommai said the government has agreed in principle to recruit pourakarmikas who are currently on contract. He met pourakarmika leaders on Friday evening.

"They want the proceedings of the meeting. It will be sent to them and they will withdraw (their protest)," Bommai said, adding that he is "sympathetic and humanitarian" about their demands.

"Over the next three months, a joint committee comprising pourakarmikas and officials will look at the technical and legal aspects of regularising their work," he said. "We have also decided to bring a law to secure the welfare, health and education of pourakarmikas in the next Assembly session," he said.

Meanwhile, not convinced with the government's verbal assurances, the protesting unions have decided to continue their strike till they receive a draft legislation detailing their demands. The communication sent to us by the principal secretary of the chief minister does not mention the issues we had raised. So we will wait till the changes we had sought are made in written confirmation," said Clifton D’Rozario, national secretary of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) and a member of the BBMP Pourakarmikara Sangha.