Bengaluru: The State Government which on Friday announced that the services of 11,000 Pourakarmikas will be regularised,is set to send 1,000 Pourakarmikas on a study tour to Singapore.
Speaking to press persons here yesterday, Social welfare Minister H. Anjaneya said that the civic workers will study the State-of-the-art manhole cleaning system in place in Singapore.
A sum of Rs. 2 crore has been released for this purpose and final clearances for the trip from the State and Singapore Governments have been obtained.
The first batch of Pourakarmikas, accompanied by two officials from the State will leave for Singapore on July 4 to study the civic cleanliness and manhole cleaning system adopted there, he said and added that in all, 25 batches will visit Singapore in the next few months.
Directorate of Municipal Administration Director R. Vishal said that each batch would be guided by one Environmental Engineer and one Sanitary Health Inspector from various Urban Local Bodies (ULB).
Pointing out that not a single woman worker had been identified from seven ULBs, he said that the Directorate has asked them to resend the list with adequate women representatives.
The Directorate has tied up with MSIL for the study tour arrangements including travel and accommodation. The teams will spend four days in Singapore and will be put up in twin sharing hotel rooms. The approximate expenditure on each worker is around Rs. 75,000, Vishal said and added that some money will be given in hand to the Pourakarmikas for there personal expenses.
Sir,
This news reminded me of the Singapore Visit by the then Chief Minster S M Krishna to learn how Singapore maintains order and cleanliness. He also promised, nay boasted, that he will make Bangalore into another Singapore! I am sure Mr. Krishna and his entourage enjoyed the trip, but Bangalore deteriorated.
Are MCC officials so ignorant and incompetent that they have to visit Singapore to learn
how to operate sewer cleaning machines? What a waste of tax payers money.
These people fail to understand why Singapore is clean. It is the kind of government they have, and the enforced discipline of the people. Do they understand in Singapore if
a person spits in the street he will be officially subjected to flogging? What happens in Mysore?