BENGALURU, 15 MARCH

In yet glaring case of alleged exploitation of Bengaluru’s civic workers, several contract-based Pourakarmikas have accused government officials of taking money from them, promising “permanent government jobs”.

The pourakarmikas, who have long been demanding regularisation of their employment, claim that officials have collected Rs 5,000 per worker, promising them confirmation letters of permanent employment from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

They alleged that one M Narayan of the Karnataka State Safai Karamchari Commission and a few supervisors have collected money from these workers in several Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wards.

Karmika Samrakshana Trade Union (a pro-pourakarmika association) President Thyagaraj told Salar News that thousands of pourakarmikas have fallen victim to this fraud and lost lakhs of rupees. "We have been protesting for their job security, but instead of addressing our concerns, officials are taking advantage of our desperation," he said.

One of the workers, who did not wish to reveal her name for fear of repercussions, said, "I paid Rs 5,000 after my supervisor assured me that my job would be made permanent in a month. Now, they are ignoring our calls. If we question them, they threaten to remove our names from the list."

Manjunath, a 38-year-old from Shivajinagar, echoed similar sentiments. "I borrowed money to pay them for getting a permanent job. If they do not return our money, we will have no choice but to approach the Lokayukta.”

This is not the first time Pourakarmikas in Bengaluru have been deceived. In 2017, several workers alleged that contractors made them sign blank papers under the pretext of job regularisation. They later found out that the documents were converted as their consent to continue as contract employees. They said that the Koramangala police refused to act on their complaints. 

The victims are now preparing to file a formal complaint with the Lokayukta.

Denying his involvement in the matter, Narayan told Salar News, "I was told that a few people had collected money using my name. I'm not sure who these people are. I will speak to Pourakarmikas and the contractors and get more details on this.".

He further said that he will help the civic workers, who have lost their money, in filing a complaint with the police. The BBMP officials, on the other hand, maintained they were unaware of this.
Salar News