CityLightBuzz: Siddipet: Former Telangana Minister and BRS Legislature Party Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao has demanded a salary hike for municipal sanitation workers in line with rising prices. Speaking during Dussehra celebrations at the Siddipet Municipal Office, he credited sanitation workers for the town’s cleanliness and its recognition through Swachh Survekshan awards.
Harish Rao interacted warmly with sanitation workers, shared breakfast with them and personally enquired about their problems. On the occasion of Dussehra, he distributed sarees to women workers and shirts and trousers to male workers as festive gifts, using his personal funds.
Harish Rao Credits Sanitation Workers for Siddipet’s Cleanliness
Harish Rao said Siddipet’s national-level recognition for cleanliness was not the achievement of any single individual but the result of the tireless efforts of sanitation workers who work through harsh weather conditions, rain and cold to keep the town clean.
He recalled that during the previous Congress government, outsourcing sanitation workers received a monthly salary of ₹8,300, which was often delayed. According to him, the BRS government under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao increased their salaries to ₹16,600 and introduced a system to transfer wages directly to workers through groups, eliminating intermediaries and contractors.
Accuses Congress Government of Ignoring Salary Hike
Criticising the present Congress government, Harish Rao alleged that sanitation workers had not received a salary hike despite nearly three years of Congress rule, even as the prices of essential commodities, bus fares and electricity bills continued to rise.
He demanded an immediate salary revision for sanitation workers and called for the implementation of the group-based payment system for employees in other municipal departments as well.
Harish Rao said the BRS would strongly raise these issues in the Telangana Legislative Assembly and press the government to address workers’ demands.
Underground Drainage and Modern Equipment Reduced Workload
Explaining the sanitation initiatives undertaken in Siddipet during the BRS regime, Harish Rao said the completion of underground drainage works significantly reduced the burden on sanitation workers.
He recalled that workers previously had to enter open drains to remove accumulated waste and later return to collect the waste dumped along roadsides. The underground drainage system helped reduce these difficulties.
He also highlighted the introduction of mechanical sweeping machines, door-to-door waste collection vehicles and the removal of public garbage bins to improve sanitation and reduce manual labour. According to Harish Rao, three large sweeping machines were procured to clean major roads. Separate collection arrangements for wet and dry waste were also introduced, while recycling initiatives reportedly offered workers an additional income of ₹300 to ₹500.
Pig Control and Water Supply Improvements
Harish Rao said the removal of roaming pigs helped maintain cleaner roads and reduced the additional workload caused when waste and streets were disturbed after cleaning.
He also recalled the difficulties faced by municipal water-supply operators, who had to operate taps at irregular hours because of electricity interruptions and water-supply challenges.
He said infrastructure improvements, including water-supply arrangements linked to the Kaleshwaram and Mallanna Sagar projects, helped ease some of these difficulties.
BRS Vows to Raise Workers’ Issues in Assembly
Reiterating his support for municipal sanitation workers, Harish Rao said their contribution to public health and urban cleanliness deserved greater recognition and fair compensation.
He urged the Congress government to increase salaries in line with inflation, clear pending dues and extend better payment arrangements to workers across municipal departments.
Source: Statements attributed to former minister T. Harish Rao during the Dussehra celebrations with Siddipet municipal sanitation workers.
