In a rather shocking development, outsourced municipal workers of Hindupur, who are agitating against G.O. 279, threw garbage in front of the house of MLA Nandamuri Bala Krishna. Police came to know about the incident and rushed to the location to stop the municipal workers from spreading municipal waste in front of Bala Krishna house and they even took some of them into custody. Details as below.
Background of G.O.279
GO 279 issued on December 31, 2015. As per this G.O, the sanitation workers would not have job security if the GO was adopted because the contractor would become the principal employer rather than the Municipal Commissioner concerned. Protests against this G.O started in 2016 itself. Workers have been arguing that this G.O aimed at terminating the services of DWCRA groups in local bodies and handover sanitation contracts to TDP leaders.
Workers protest against G.O.279
Municipality sanitation workers, who have been protesting against G.O.279 since quite some time, called for indefinite strike in the month of October’2018. This statewide agitation continued for 15 days. Later, AP government had discussions with the workers and agreed not to implement this G.O. Then, workers called off agitation. But now, again Municipality officials started implementing this G.O. This had put the jobs of the outsourced sanitation worker in danger.
Workers picket Bala Krishna’s house
Worried with the developments, around 220 municipal sanitation workers started again protesting against the implementation of this G.O. They have been protesting for last 4 days but officials did not respond. Today, on 5th day of their agitation municipal workers picketed the house of the Hindupur MLA Bala Krishna at dawn, they brought loads of solid waste from the town and spread it in front of the main entry gate of Bala Krishna house.
Officials responded after picketing Bala Krishna’s house:
Police and Municipality officials, who did not respond on the agitations for last 4 days, responded today after the workers spread the waste at Bala Krishna house. Police reached the location and tried to stop the municipal workers from spreading waste at Bala Krishna house. A municipality worker, who is an elderly woman, turned unconscious in the melee between police and municipal workers and she was shifted to hospital. Police even took some of the workers into custody. Police ensure the area got cleaned. Muncipal commissioner also responded on the issue today and told that he will take decision within 3 days. However, workers told, “We will continue our agitation tomorrow by picketing the house and office of the Municipal Commissioner on Thursday and till he withdraws the effort to implement G.O. 279”.
We will have to wait and see what decision the government is going to take on this G.O
-ZURAN (@CriticZuran)
