Pourakarmikas will get wage arrears in new bank accounts in 10 days, BBMP tells HC

  • | Thursday | 22nd February, 2018

The petitioners have also questioned bringing of the municipal solid waste management services under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). The BBMP also clarified that the municipal solid waste management services were brought under the ESMA by the government in the best interest of the citizens. A submission in this regard was made by BBMP counsel V. Sreenidhi during the hearing on petitions filed by a group of contractors engaged for solid waste management services. Meanwhile, in its statement filed before the court, the BBMP defended the decision taken by the government for directly paying the wages to pourakarmikas. The BBMP will transfer the monthly wage of ?17,500 to the accounts of each pourakarmika once they are opened, the counsel said.

more-in The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday assured the High Court of Karnataka that the arrears of wages to pourakarmikas since November 2017 would be paid within 10 days once the process of opening their new bank accounts is completed. A submission in this regard was made by BBMP counsel V. Sreenidhi during the hearing on petitions filed by a group of contractors engaged for solid waste management services. The petitioner-contractors have questioned the legality of the BBMP’s decision to pay wages directly to the pourakarmikas employed by the contractors. The petitioners have also questioned bringing of the municipal solid waste management services under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). The court was told that so far 20,000 pourakarmikas, including drivers, helpers, and supervisors, have been identified among the so called 30,000 pourakarmikas said to have been employed under various contractors. The BBMP will transfer the monthly wage of ?17,500 to the accounts of each pourakarmika once they are opened, the counsel said. Meanwhile, in its statement filed before the court, the BBMP defended the decision taken by the government for directly paying the wages to pourakarmikas. Pointing out that criminal cases have been filed against some contractors for not paying wages to pourakarmikas, the BBMP contended that the direct payment system would avoid middlemen in the process of payment of statutory wages. The BBMP also clarified that the municipal solid waste management services were brought under the ESMA by the government in the best interest of the citizens. Justice Vineet Kothari, before whom the petitions came up for hearing, adjourned further hearing till March 7.

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