Umarkote: Sanitation workers of the Umarkote Municipality in Nabarangpur district have called off their strike today after five days of agitation. They had stopped all cleaning work in the town, demanding a salary hike and other basic facilities. Their strike had left the entire town littered with garbage, creating an unhygienic and distressing situation, especially at the old bus stand area, causing severe inconvenience to both locals and visitors.
Amid concerns of a cholera outbreak spreading in Odisha, municipal councilors Tapan Kumar Debnath, Muna Padhi, Chitta Ranjan Patra, and Executive Officer Alok Chandra Anugulia held a discussion with the sanitation workers at the municipal office. Around 50 male and female sanitation workers participated in the meeting.
It was decided that on the 23rd of this month, two representatives of the sanitation workers, some councilors, and the executive officer will visit Bhubaneswar to hold a meeting with senior officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department regarding wage hike discussions for both skilled and unskilled sanitation workers. The sanitation workers agreed to this plan.
Immediately afterward, in the presence of councilors and the executive officer, the sanitation staff began cleaning the piled-up garbage at the old bus stand.
Executive Officer Alok Chandra Anugulia informed that regular sanitation activities will resume across the town from tomorrow.
It is noteworthy that for the past several days, Umarkote Municipality’s sanitation workers had launched a strike demanding salary hike, timely payment of wages, and provision of safety equipment. Due to the strike, garbage had accumulated across the town, causing foul odor and health risks.
Now that the sanitation workers have withdrawn their agitation, relieved citizens have expressed their satisfaction and welcomed the move.