Daijiworld Media Network – Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Sep 4: The Haryana government has directed sanitation workers and sewer men employed by municipal bodies across the state to return to duty by September 5, warning of legal and departmental action against those who fail to comply.

The directive was issued by the Urban Local Bodies Department to Municipal Corporation Commissioners and District Municipal Commissioners, asking them to ensure strict implementation of the order.

The government has classified sanitation services as essential and stressed the need to maintain uninterrupted cleanliness and sewerage services in urban areas.

According to the department, several sanitation workers and sewer men have remained absent from duty since August 6 as part of their ongoing strike. The government has also alleged that sanitation equipment and machinery were damaged during the protest, with FIRs reportedly registered against some employees.

The workers have been on strike since August 6 over various demands, including regularisation of their services. The prolonged agitation has resulted in garbage accumulating at several locations across the state.

The government warned that employees who do not resume duty by the September 5 deadline could face legal and departmental action. Officials have also been instructed to ensure compliance with an August 18 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini recently told the Haryana Assembly that his government was working to address the concerns of sanitation workers and had accepted 12 of their demands.
On the demand for regularisation, Saini said the matter involved several legal issues and was being examined from a legal perspective.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has stepped up its criticism of the BJP government over the continuing strike. Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda accused the chief minister of being indifferent to the workers’ demands.

Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal alleged that sanitation workers were facing police action at several places during the protest, while INLD MLA Aditya Devi Lal accused the government of subjecting the workers to “injustice and oppression”.

Congress MLAs had also raised the issue during the monsoon session of the Haryana Assembly on September 1, urging the government to accept the workers’ demands and resolve the dispute at the earliest.