Massoorie Municipality Takes Landmark Decision: Contractual Sanitation Workers to Receive Full Salary

Mussoorie: In a major move, the Mussoorie Municipal Council has announced that sanitation workers employed under the contract system will now receive the full salary as per government norms. This decision ends years of financial exploitation and ensures equitable pay for all employees.

Sunil Sonkar, Mussoorie: Municipal Council Chairperson Meera Saklani clarified in a recent meeting that no worker will be subjected to unfair practices, and all will receive equal wages for equal work.

During previous municipal terms, workers were reportedly paid only ₹8,000 per month, while the government-mandated rate stood at ₹500 per day. The failure to implement this order had led to severe financial exploitation of sanitation staff.

Starting 1 January, the door-to-door waste collection contract was awarded to ‘Lord Shiva Company’, with a clear stipulation that all employees must be paid as per government-prescribed wages and provided with all entitled benefits.

Chairperson Meera Saklani strongly criticized the former municipal head, Anuj Gupta, alleging gross mismanagement and injustice during his tenure. “Some workers were paid without performing duties, while others were overburdened with work. We have documented evidence, and going forward, every employee will be compensated according to their work and the government-mandated salary,” she stated.

In another announcement, Saklani revealed that out of the ₹25 lakh awarded to the municipality under the Swachh Survekshan initiative, ₹12.5 lakh will be distributed as rewards to sanitation workers, acknowledging their central role in maintaining the cleanliness of Mussoorie. “Sanitation workers are the backbone of the municipality, and their welfare will be given utmost priority,” she added.

During the meeting, Vishal Birla, Uttarakhand Head of the All India Sanitation Workers’ Union, confirmed that the exploitation and injustices of the previous board have come to an end. He also stated that legal recourse would soon be sought to recover discrepancies in salaries, ESI, and PF that occurred under the former administration.