Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the inauguration of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the pourakarmikas’ union in Bengaluru on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday announced that the government would regularise the services of pourakarmikas (municipal workers) on May 1, which is observed as International Workers’ Day.
At present, work of thousands of pourakarmikas has been outsourced in various urban local bodies, including city corporations, and they have been demanding regularisation of services.
The Chief Minister, who inaugurated the 25th anniversary celebrations of the pourakarmikas’ union, said that workers in urban local bodies had been working following the principle of “Work is worship” advocated by the 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara.
Noting the decline in the number of people joining the profession in urban local bodies, the Chief Minister said it was the responsibility of the government to fulfill their demands on priority.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said there was no difference between the Chief Secretary and the pourakarmikas because services of both were sacred. One should not look down on their profession and all pourakarmikas deserved dignity and respect, he said, promising regularisation of services of pourakarmikas.
The services of drivers of vehicles who had been hired on contract basis too would be regularised, the Chief Minister noted.
Mr. Siddaramaiah spoke about the importance of education for social and economic well-being and said children of pourakarmikas too should get education which would provide opportunities to bring out their talent in society.
The Chief Minister also promised that cashless health cards would be given to pourakarmikas and appreciated the role of union leaders in safeguarding the interests of the workers.
Listing out various services provided to pourakarmikas by the Congress government, he said the monthly salaries of civic workers had been increased from ₹7,000 to ₹17,000. The government had been organising foreign tours for pourakarmikas every year, he said.
Published – April 07, 2025 08:53 pm IST
