Jharkhand Minister Addresses Concerns of Dismissed Swachh Bharat Mission Workers

A delegation of the Swachh Bharat Mission employees, consisting of Block Coordinators and Social Motivators, met with Minister Yogendra Prasad to discuss their grievances. The workers, employed since 2006, were terminated from their positions on July 24th, a decision that the employees’ union claims is illegal. The employees had filed a case in the Jharkhand High Court, and the court issued a stay order against their removal. Despite the court’s intervention, the department has not yet reinstated these employees. Furthermore, the department has started the process of hiring for these positions through outsourcing, contradicting the court’s directive. The union requested the Minister to cancel all the appointments done on these posts. The Minister stated that the removal of these employees who had worked for 10-15 years was unfair. He mentioned a letter from the Personnel Department, which stated that the government would consider regularizing the services of irregular employees who have served for 10 years. The Minister assured the delegation that action would be taken on the union’s demands. The union also requested a monthly honorarium of Rs 40,000, permanent adjustment, leave approvals, and the provision of facilities similar to state employees.