BBMP employees withdraw strike after recent suspensions promised to be rolled back, services affected on Tuesday
Revenue, Education, and Health departments were the most affected by the strike, which was withdrawn later in the evening, after Chief Civic Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao promised to withdraw the suspensions of eight revenue officials, suspended over alleged dereliction of duty during the Scheduled Castes Survey. Solid waste management remained unaffected.
Mallamma, who works as a domestic help in Rajajinagar area, said that her mother-in-law had fallen ill and she had taken her to the nearest BBMP hospital, but doctors had been to a protest.
Madhav Rao, a resident of Vidyaranyapura and a senior citizen, said he had been to the BBMP office to meet the assistant revenue officer (ARO) over an e-khata query, but the office was deserted.
Meanwhile, classes were not properly held in most of the BBMP-run schools and colleges as teachers were also participating in the strike. The BBMP headquarters in N.R. Square of the city also wore a deserted look as most of the employees were part of the strike.
Suralkar Vikas Kishor, Special Commissioner (West Zone), faced the heat from BBMP employees who alleged he tried to stop employees from participating in the strike. However, he clarified that he had told only two employees — an office assistant and a driver — not to go for the protest, to keep the office running, and said he was not against the strike.
Mr. Rao visited Freedom Park, where the BBMP employees were protesting and assured them of withdrawing the suspension orders of eight revenue officers. Responding to other demands — BBMP should fill 6,000 posts, give promotions to BBMP direct recruits, cancel employing Marshals in the city — the Commissioner promised the employees that he will soon take up these issues with the State government.
Following this, the strike was called off. A. Amrutraj, president, BBMP Employees' and Engineers' Welfare Association, which led the strike, said that with the suspensions withdrawn and assurance to positively consider their other demands, they had decided to call off the strike and return to work on Wednesday.
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