City to get more sanitation workers

Corporation decides to appoint 128 workers despite strong opposition from BJP

The city Corporation has decided to increase the strength of its sanitation workforce by adding 128 more to the existing number of workers. The agenda for the same was passed in the council meeting held on Friday after weathering a storm raised by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused corruption and favouritism in the appointment process.

However, with the party failing to substantiate its claims and with the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) too not lending it any support, the decision got approved by the council.

The sanitation workers will be appointed from the list made available from the district employment exchange on December 14 last year. Aspirants from this list were shortlisted after conducting an interview and a skill test.

The main allegation of the BJP councillors was that many of the aspirants did not know about the interview as the letters were posted to wrong addresses.

BJP councillor M.R. Gopan accused the ruling party of trying to appoint those close to them and of promoting backdoor entry. He demanded cancellation of the list and a Vigilance inquiry into the entire process. Allegations were levelled against the Secretary and the Deputy Mayor, but they could not substantiate any of these allegations.

The UDF did not support any of these allegations. They demanded that the publishing of the final list should not be delayed, as the city is in dire need of sanitation workers. Many of the aspirants have also been waiting for sometime to get appointed. UDF councillor Beemapally Rasheed challenged the BJP councillors to provide proof for the allegation that he had got anyone included in the final list.

Final list

Replying to the allegations, health standing committee chairman K. Sreekumar said the interview committee had, as per the guidelines, the health officer, the Secretary, Mayor and the health standing committee chairman.

The final list was prepared as per the performance of the candidates in the interview and in the skill test, under the supervision of the health inspectors.

Mayor V.K. Prashant, who challenged the BJP to prove its allegations, said that out of the 1,259 people on the employment list to whom letters were sent to, 1079 had responded. This itself proves that the allegation that the letters were sent to wrong addresses is false.

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