Bengaluru: A blame game between the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) and its contractors has left hundreds of auto tipper drivers and cleaners without salaries for nearly five months.They are continuing to work, but according to sources, a sudden strike looks imminent, which may potentially leave citizens grappling with uncollected garbage.When thousands of pourakarmikas across Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka staged protests in July demanding the release of long-pending wages, authorities assured the workers that payments would be cleared. But their commitment remains unfulfilled.Contractor Rajanikanth Reddy, explained the crux of the dispute. “We were asked to submit bills with separate ESI and PF details from April onwards, which is not practical. Of Rs 27,000 paid per worker, Rs 18,000 is salary and Rs 9,000 goes into ESI and PF deductions. We transfer salaries directly into accounts, but officials are accusing us of misusing this money and showing the same workers across multiple wards. They can check the Aadhaar cards and do the math. Why are they pressuring us?”BSWML officials, however, counter these charges. A senior officer said, “The contractors lack clarity in billing, and, in several cases, the same worker has been shown under different blocks, raising bills multiple times. We suspect contractors of recovering the excess from workers later. Verification is also difficult since many workers lack Aadhaar or voter ID with Bengaluru registration, creating loopholes.“Under BSWML norms, one auto tipper with a driver and cleaner is allocated 750 households. Each worker is entitled to a monthly pay of Rs 27,000.Kari Gowda, BSWML chief executive officer, confirmed that notices have been issued to nearly 30 contractors. “Once bills are submitted with clarity on ESI and PF, we will verify and immediately release payments. We stand by sanitation workers and contractors who keep the city clean, but the onus now lies on contractors to comply,” he said.———BOXResources deployed– 4,646 auto tippers– 593 compactors– 10,478 sanitation drivers and collection staff
