Sanitation workers at the mercy of field assistants, who extort a cut from salaries in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Lakshmi, a sanitation worker from Ziaguda, who reportedly attempted suicide in front of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) head office on Tuesday, is not a case in isolation.
Like her, there are many sanitation workers who are being driven to take extreme steps as they are not being paid salaries due to alleged corrupt practices resorted by the Sanitary Field Assistants (SFAs).

Nearly 22,000 sanitation workers are keeping the city clean and their role Covid-19  lockdown was lauded by everyone. They sweat out to keep streets, inner roads, main roads and colonies clean on a daily basis.
However, many of them are not receiving salaries on time and are made to run from pillar to post due to harassment meted out by SFAs.

Threatened with more work

Sanitation workers allege that SFAs were demanding a cut in their salary every month. Some workers, mostly women, are harassed for not paying the monthly bribe. Every month it is a practice by many of the SFAs to collect Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 as ‘monthly mamool’ as soon as the workers receive their salaries.

GHMC sources said that it has come to their notice that many SFAs are allegedly collecting a portion of the salaries of sanitation workers as they play a major role in appointing them on a contract basis.
If the required bribe is not paid to them, the workers’ salaries are put on hold and their bills are not sent to higher officials for processing.

A sanitation worker said that every month it is a practice for many of the SFAs to collect Rs 500 and above as ‘monthly mamool’ as soon as the workers receive their salaries. “If we refuse their demands then they dump more work on us,” he said.

‘Monthly mamool’ system

A sanitation worker said that every month it is a practice for many of the SFAs to collect Rs 500 and above as ‘monthly mamool’ as soon as the workers receive their salaries. “If we refuse their demands then they dump more work on us,” he said.