Chandigarh, August 16- Haryana Chief Minister Mr Manohar Lal has presented a cheque of over Rs 2.95 crore to District Head, Municipal Corporation Employee Sangh, Mr. Rajesh and Unit Head, Mr. Ram Singh towards one time uniform allowance for the last five years to Safai Karamcharis on the pay roll of Municipal Corporation on August 15 in Gurugram. This amount will be credited to the bank account of all 1,756 Safai Karamcharis.

The Chief Minister was addressing the people during a function organised to present one time uniform allowance to Safai Karamcharis on the pay roll of Municipal Corporation for the last five years in Gurugram.

The Chief Minister said, “We are concerned about the facilities being provided to Safai Karamcharis. We had promised them to give uniform allowance and a pair of shoes. Thus, a lump sum uniform allowance has been given for the last five years, under which, every Safai Karamchari would get an amount of Rs 17,000.”

While referring to the practice of contractor, he said that the Safai Karamcharis should select their contractor from amongst themselves and we would give the contract to them. The selected person should take care of the facilities being provided to Safai Karamcharis and pay their wages on time. The Chief Minister said, “We find this way out for contractor practice. But there is no haste, you all should consider this suggestion and give us feedback.”

He said that if from among Safai Karamcharis, anyone who has five to ten years of experience and is educated, he can take the contract alongwith two or four more persons. He said that your problems are our problems, we all would work together, but do not get misled by anyone. He said that all contractors who exploits would be removed. The Chief Minister also urged the Safai Karamcharis present there to send their children between the age of 5 to 15 years to school for education. He discouraged child labour and said that now their children can choose other professions than sanitation work by getting educated.

He said that the sanitation work used to be considered small but we believe that it is equal to all other works. Earlier, apart from cleaning their own house, people used to clean streets outside their house, but now they feel its government’s work. With time, the method of cleaning has also changed, now machines are being used, mechanical robot machine has also come for sewerage cleaning. Now there is no need to get down to sewerages for cleaning. He said that even then, the Safai Karamcharis who would clean sewerages, would be insured for Rs 10 lakh, the premium would be paid by the State Government and if any untoward incident occur during the sewerage cleaning work, the victim family would get Rs 10 lakh.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister congratulated everyone on the 73rd Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan and said that first of all we pledge to protect our country. And, we also pledge to protect each other by staying with harmony. Raksha Bandhan is a festival of special bond between brother and sister. During the programme, two women Safai Karamcharis also tied a rakhi on the wrist of Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal.

District Head, Municipal Employees Union, Mr Rajesh thanked the Chief Minister for giving the uniform allowance and said that before this, no other Chief Minister has given uniform allowance in this way. Each Safai Karamchari is given two uniforms and a pair of shoes, in a year.

Haryana Public Works Minister, Rao Narbir Singh, MLAs Mr Tejpal Tanwar and Mr Umesh Agrawal, BJP District President, Mr Bhupender Chauhan, Mayor, Mrs Madhu Azad, Senior Deputy Mayor, Mrs Parmila Kabalana, and other dignitaries were present.