VELLORE: The Tamil Nadu government should also set up a commission for safai karmcharis (cleanliness workers) at the state level similar to the one at the national level, suggested M Venkatesan, chairman of the National Commission for Safai Karmcharis.

Informing that he had placed a request with the Governor of Tamil Nadu for the formation of a state-level body for the cleanliness workers, he said 11 other states have such a forum.

Speaking after a review meeting attended by Collector P Kumaravel Pandian, DRO K Ramamurthy, SP N Manivannan, and Corporation Commissioner P Rathinasamy, the NCSK chief citing complaints over irregular payment of PF amount deducted from the subscriber’s salary, said the commissioner had been asked to look into the issue.

Instead of outsourcing, all states should emulate Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and directly pay sanitation workers to avoid income-related issues.