PANAJI
Perennially facing uncertainty in terms of job security hundreds of daily-wage workers sweeping the streets and cleaning cities across Goa, many of who do not even have the assurances of contractual employment, have got a boost with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant proposing in the budget that those from among them who have worked with civic bodies for at least seven years will be given a “temporary staff” status.
Janardhan, who lives in the St Inez bandh area, however, is not all gung-ho with the announcement as their demand is to absorb them as regular staff.
He said, he has been working as daily wage sanitary workers first in Panjim Municipal Council and then the Corporation of the City of Panaji for over two decades.
“They should make us regular staff,” Janardhan said, adding however, that the “temporary status” announced by the chief minister does give them hope of getting “regularised” in the near future.
Other budget announcements in the urban development portfolio involve a Rs 135-crore grant to Panaji under the CITIIS 2.0 initiative. The four-year project is for solid waste management and creating a circular economy.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has also pledged to finally begin the project for the restoration of Margao Municipality’s heritage administrative building this year.
