These workers are considered the backbone of the civic bodies in combating vector-borne diseases, as they go from household to household to check if there is any breeding of mosquito larvae or not. (Express photo/File) The protest of domestic breeding checker (DBC) workers of civic bodies in Delhi in front of the civic centre demanding regularisation of jobs entered the fourth day on Thursday.
President of Anti Malaria Ekta Karmchari Union Debanand Sharma said, “We have been working for decades as contractual employees, and authorities have many times claimed to make us regular employees, it has not happened. We are going to continue our stir if our demands are not met.”
More than 3,500 breeding checkers work in the three corporations, who drive the city’s campaign against vector breeding. These workers are considered the backbone of the civic bodies in combating vector-borne diseases, as they go from household to household to check if there is any breeding of mosquito larvae or not.
“We were employed in 1996 as health workers but there are no designated posts for us and as a reason, we do not get job benefits like allowance, leaves, medical,” said Sharma.
“By risking our lives against dengue, malaria, chikungunya, cholera and corona (Covid-19), we continuously worked for the last two years. Along with this, many have also lost their lives. Many have retired. Many comrades also died in Corona, but the corporation’s heart still did not sweat nor was anything done for their families, which is shameful,” he said.
Standing committee chairperson B K Oberoi said that the civic body has sent files for the release of funds so that the regularisation process could be started thrice to the Delhi government. “We can only do this when money is released by them,” he said.
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