Mysuru: In a significant step towards securing the welfare of sanitation workers, appointment letters regularising the services of 219 Pourakarmikas of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) were distributed on Friday by the District Administration and MCC at the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) Convocation Hall.

Social Welfare and Mysuru District in-Charge Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa handed over the letters in the presence of Narasimharaja (NR) MLA Tanveer Sait, Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, MCC Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif and Pourakarmika leaders, including former Mayor Narayan, G. Mara, Shivanna and Srinivas.

Speaking after distributing the appointment letters and Health Cards, Dr. Mahadevappa said that every year during Dasara, Pourakarmikas staged protests demanding regularisation of their jobs but were forced to resume work without concrete results.

“The credit for Mysuru being recognised as a ‘Clean City’ goes entirely to Pourakarmikas. Karnataka is the first State in the country to regularise the services of Pourakarmikas. Of the total 32,000 Pourakarmikas in the State, most have now been made permanent employees with Government benefits. About 10,000 are yet to be covered,” he said.

Dr. Mahadevappa noted that the move ends decades of exploitation under contractors, who pocketed large portions of workers’ wages. He recalled that Pourakarmikas have been fighting to end the contract system since 1994.

“In addition to 32,000 Pourakarmikas, there are 8,000 Safai Karmacharis who have consistently demanded that wages be paid directly by cheque to eliminate middlemen,” he added.

With their jobs now regularised, Pourakarmikas will receive health insurance coverage of Rs. 2.5 lakh, accident insurance of Rs. 10 lakh and housing benefits. A total of 150 housing units are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 28 crore, with each unit costing Rs. 21 lakh.

NR MLA Tanveer Sait congratulated the Pourakarmikas for their relentless efforts to secure this victory and highlighted that thousands of sanitation workers across India still work under the contract system.

Former Mayor Narayan urged the workers to make good use of their newly gained benefits as Government employees and to secure better futures for their children.