Garbage contractors are threatening to strike work again, this time over the ‘bad publicity’ they have been subjected to, painting them as thieves before the public.
Members of the Bengaluru Mahanagara Swachathe Mathu Lorry Maalikara Haagu Guthigedaarara Sangha said they will meet Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday afternoon to decide their course of action.
What they plan to do is park all their vehicles in and around the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office to counter allegations by the palike and sections of the media of over 3,500 ‘missing vehicles’ leading to ‘bogus billing’.
“Let there be accountability in front of the media and the public. Statements have been made against us frequently. If the BBMP says there are not these many vehicles, where is 4,000 tonnes of waste from the city going?” said S.N. Balasubramani, general secretary of the Sangha.
He said the garbage contractors would request the minister for a day to provide ‘proof’ by displaying their vehicles.
“Even we do not want to strike work. This is the rainy season and not clearing waste will be hazardous. But we want to physically demonstrate how many vehicles we have and will have to stop work for two days,” he said, adding that they would ask the minister’s permission for Monday or Tuesday.
BBMP Joint Commissioner (Solid Waste Management and Health) Sarfaraz Khan said the contractors had met palike officials on Wednesday. “The BBMP is not finding fault. We are not casting aspersions on them. We are only trying to put a system in place. They have also given some ideas and we will take them into confidence in the measures we take,” he said.
The contractors had struck work earlier this month demanding that the government look into their demands, especially payment of pending bills amounting to ₹220 crore.