Streamline cleanliness workers’ wages soon: Members at Karur Corporation meet

TIRUCHY: Raising concerns over the wage of Rs 400 per day given to cleanliness workers against the actual wage of Rs 721, members of the Karur City Corporation Council urged that the Corporation streamline the salary during the council meeting held on Wednesday.

The Corporation Council meeting was chaired by Mayor Kavitha Ganesan. Commissioner KM Sudha and Deputy Mayor Dharani Saravanan were present. During the meeting, AIADMK member Andal Dinesh alleged irregularities in the fixation of rents for the shops functioning at the new bus stand. He noted that the rent at the new bus stand is lower compared to the old bus stand, and the shops have been allotted to the people from the ruling party.

The mayor intervened and stated that the rent was fixed only after the council granted approval. Accordingly, as per the guideline value, Rs 80 per sq ft was fixed, and the shops were allotted to the local people and not cadres of one particular party, she said.

However, the AIADMK government earlier fixed the rent at Rs 150 per sq ft without consulting anyone, which led shopkeepers to approach the court as they could not afford the rent, the mayor pointed out.

Immediately, the AIADMK members condemned the mayor’s statement and sought to withdraw her statement. This triggered an altercation between the AIADMK and DMK members. Subsequently, the deputy mayor intervened and pacified both party members.

Subsequently, the CPM member Dhandapani voiced concern that the wages distributed to the cleanliness workers are too low against the fixation. “The contractors provide them only Rs 400 per day against the actual wage of Rs 791. The civic administration should intervene and streamline the wages,” Dhandapani said. Several council members echoed the same.

The commissioner, Sudha, assured that the issue would be sorted out soon and announced that a meeting with contractors would be organised.