The Times of India 07.09.2010
Toll climbing but MCD’s breeding checkers on strike
NEW DELHI: One more death due to dengue was reported in the capital on Monday. With this, the death toll has risen to four, including one death from outside Delhi. On a day when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was to intensify its drive against mosquito breeding, nearly 3,200 domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) went on an indefinite strike on Monday. By Monday evening, MCD officials claimed that DBCs had called off their strike but DBCs refuted their claim.
Meanwhile, 75 new cases of dengue were reported in the city taking the tally to 1370. Rakesh (25), who was staying near IGI airport, succumbed to dengue at the Safdarjung Hospital on Monday. Meanwhile, one more death was reported from Indrapuram of 21-year-old Kingshuk Shreyas, a third-year student of History (honours) at Hindu College, who was staying with his brother. His friends say Shreyas was not keeping well for the past few days and was admitted at a local hospital where he died of the infection.
“They have not given us in writing that we will be regularized. We had a meeting with the MCD commissioner, K S Mehra, but he didn’t give any assurance to us. He has called us for a meeting on Tuesday. This time we want something concrete and only then will we end our strike,” said Ashok Chaudhary, secretary, Anti-Malaria Karamchari Sangh.
Meanwhile, the MCD again warned the domestic breeding checkers that those not returning to work may face termination of services. However, officials admit that this action may also lead to a temporary manpower crunch as the process of appointing new DBCs may take at least four to five days.
“We can terminate the services of DBCs as they are contract workers. We are appealing to them to not stop work at such a time when the city is facing a dengue outbreak. We can easily appoint new DBCs as we have a long waiting list of applicants,” leader of MCD House Subhash Arya said.
But MCD commissioner said, “We have told them that we will look into their demand sympathetically, but we can’t promise anything. They have called off the strike.” Refuting Mehra’s claim, Choudhary said, “Our strike will continue till our demands are not met. We don’t want them to regularize us immediately, but they should at least give us something in writing to assure us that they will do it after the Games. MCD is forcing us to continue our strike.”
The DBCs, who undertake door-to-door surveys to check mosquito breeding, have been demanding regularization of jobs for a long time. They had observed a 47-day strike in 2008 as well. The MCD, however, said it does not have the required funds at present to regularize them.
The issue of rising number of dengue cases was discussed at a House meeting of the MCD. Arya accused the Delhi government of granting insufficient funds for public health and said this was causing problems for the MCD.
Former mayor Farhad Suri dismissed the allegation and said the MCD had diverted some money sanctioned by government under sanitation head for purchasing biometric system. Leader of Opposition J K Sharma alleged that the officials were giving “false” reports about the number of cases.
Suri also raised concern over blocking of Barapullah nullah due to the elevated road work there and said this was causing waterlogging in Nizamuddin area.
The civic agency also launched a week-long sanitation drive on Monday to control mosquito breeding in the city, though residents in most areas said they did not see any change on ground.
Meanwhile, 75 new cases of dengue were reported in the city taking the tally to 1370. Rakesh (25), who was staying near IGI airport, succumbed to dengue at the Safdarjung Hospital on Monday. Meanwhile, one more death was reported from Indrapuram of 21-year-old Kingshuk Shreyas, a third-year student of History (honours) at Hindu College, who was staying with his brother. His friends say Shreyas was not keeping well for the past few days and was admitted at a local hospital where he died of the infection.
“They have not given us in writing that we will be regularized. We had a meeting with the MCD commissioner, K S Mehra, but he didn’t give any assurance to us. He has called us for a meeting on Tuesday. This time we want something concrete and only then will we end our strike,” said Ashok Chaudhary, secretary, Anti-Malaria Karamchari Sangh.
Meanwhile, the MCD again warned the domestic breeding checkers that those not returning to work may face termination of services. However, officials admit that this action may also lead to a temporary manpower crunch as the process of appointing new DBCs may take at least four to five days.
“We can terminate the services of DBCs as they are contract workers. We are appealing to them to not stop work at such a time when the city is facing a dengue outbreak. We can easily appoint new DBCs as we have a long waiting list of applicants,” leader of MCD House Subhash Arya said.
But MCD commissioner said, “We have told them that we will look into their demand sympathetically, but we can’t promise anything. They have called off the strike.” Refuting Mehra’s claim, Choudhary said, “Our strike will continue till our demands are not met. We don’t want them to regularize us immediately, but they should at least give us something in writing to assure us that they will do it after the Games. MCD is forcing us to continue our strike.”
The DBCs, who undertake door-to-door surveys to check mosquito breeding, have been demanding regularization of jobs for a long time. They had observed a 47-day strike in 2008 as well. The MCD, however, said it does not have the required funds at present to regularize them.
The issue of rising number of dengue cases was discussed at a House meeting of the MCD. Arya accused the Delhi government of granting insufficient funds for public health and said this was causing problems for the MCD.
Former mayor Farhad Suri dismissed the allegation and said the MCD had diverted some money sanctioned by government under sanitation head for purchasing biometric system. Leader of Opposition J K Sharma alleged that the officials were giving “false” reports about the number of cases.
Suri also raised concern over blocking of Barapullah nullah due to the elevated road work there and said this was causing waterlogging in Nizamuddin area.
The civic agency also launched a week-long sanitation drive on Monday to control mosquito breeding in the city, though residents in most areas said they did not see any change on ground.
