The deadlock between the Haryana government and protesting sanitation workers continued on Tuesday as another round of talks failed to yield a breakthrough, prompting the employees to extend their statewide strike till September 3.
The government, however, maintains that substantial progress has been made on their demands. The situation has remained tense in other towns as well. In Hansi, striking municipal and fire service employees confronted police after the administration brought in agency workers for sanitation operations. In Sonepat, Congress leaders joined sanitation workers at their prolonged dharna outside the municipal corporation office and accused the government of failing to honour its assurances.
The workers, backed by the Haryana Municipal Employees Union and Sarv Karamchari Sangh, are primarily demanding regularisation of contractual sanitation and fire service employees, an end to the contract system and implementation of the 17-point agreement reached with the government on May 13 after their previous strike. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini told the state Assembly on Tuesday that the government was working to resolve the issue as 12 demands of the sanitation workers had been accepted, while issues before courts would be dealt with in accordance with judicial directions.
Urban district Congress president Kamal Diwan said mere assurances would not resolve the workers’ grievances and threatened to raise the issue in the Assembly. In Rohtak Congress Seva Dal workers on Tuesday sprayed insecticide on garbage heaps at several locations in the city, including Saini College Road, Model Town and Gohana Chowk, citing the risk of mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects.
