'Punjab, Rajasthan not following NSKC instructions'

Hoshiarpur, Nov 7: The Punjab and Rajasthan governments have not yet paid heed to the instructions of the National Safai Karamcharis Commission (NSKC) for regularising the services of all those Safai Karamcharis who had been working on adhoc or contract basis. "The governments of the two states have not even acknowledged the circulars of the Commission", NSKC Chairperson, Santosh Chowdhary told medieapersons on Friday, Nov 7.

She claimed that she had written letters to the Chief Ministers of both the states for completing the backlog, fresh recruitment and to regularise the services of all those Safai Karamcharis who had been working on adhoc or contract basis. But instead of taking any steps to follow the instructions, the two states had not even acknowledged her letters, she added.

Despite announcements of launching cleanliness drives, the urban areas of Punjab had become were far from clean due to shortage of Safai Sewaks in all the municipal corporations or councils. This had resulted in spreading of dengue fever in state, she added.

Ms Chowdhary claimed that hundreds of suspected dengue fever patients were being reported in government and private health institutions daily. But the state government had done nothing to control the diseases.

Referring to the pitiable condition of Safai Sewaks in Punjab, Ms Chowdhary said that they were not getting their salaries regularly. No uniforms or duck-shoes had been provided to them to work at odd places, she added.

The state government officers were completely unaware about the various schemes being sponsored by the Union government for the benefit of Safai Karamcharis, she said. To create an awareness about these schemes and to monitor their implementation, the NSKC had constituted Implementation Committees, she said.

Later, MsChowdhary held a meeting with all the departmental heads of the district to review the ongoing schemes of the Central government for Safai Karmcharis and scavengers.

UNI