'You alone are responsible': BWSSB seeks indemnity affidavit from workers

Wading into controversy, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) wants all its workers to give an undertaking that they are responsible if any unforeseen incident happens on the job.

A circular issued by the additional chief engineer (east) asks the engineers in charge of service stations to ensure all workers wear the safety gear and sign affidavits.

The affidavit, reviewed by DH, absolves the BWSSB supervisors and other officials of any responsibility for the workers’ safety. “If any untoward incidents occur during the work, I am solely responsible for them..,” the affidavit states.

The BWSSB has outsourced most of its workers from an agency which is facing a case in the high court. The board has previously faced accusations of not taking action against the agency.

“This is nothing but bonded labour. The lack of regard for the life of a labourer and the failure to recognise their own responsibility in complying with safety rules is very clear,” said S Balan, advocate and president of the National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations, Karnataka Chapter.

“How can the board pressure the employees to sign a document which absolves the officials of all responsibility? We are going to serve it a legal notice.”

When contacted, BWSSB Chairman N Jayaram said he had got to know about the circular and had asked for removing the controversial proviso. “The affidavit is essentially a reminder to the workers to make sure they wear the safety gear. The proviso forcing them to take responsibility for untoward incidents should not be there. I have instructed the engineers to remove it,” he said.

Last week, an underage labourer outsourced by the agency to the BWSSB suffocated in an underground chamber near the Chinnaswamy stadium. Police have booked three BWSSB engineers as well as Navodya, the manpower agency, over the incident.

In August, a sanitary worker named Shivakumar died after a jetting machine hit him in the head. While officials had described it as a freak accident, activist Samuel Sathyaseelan, a JNU student, noted that BWSSB officials supposed to supervise the work are never present on the site, leading to complacency.

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