Mumbai: Lowest-paid BMC contractors get the short shrift

A health worker screens residents of Yellappa Chawl in St. Kakayya Road, Dharavi in October. File pic

Contractual staffers working for the civic body amid the COVID-19 pandemic have demanded a daily ‘COVID Encouragement Allowance' of Rs 300 at par with permanent employees. The workers have claimed that while BMC employees got it for all the days between March and December 2020, they are being given only Rs 15,000.

Health workers screen residents of Dindoshi, Goregaon in October 2020. File pic

The allowance for contractual workers cost the civic body R3.82 crore. A contractual civic staffer, who did not wish to be identified, said, "As per the BMC's Public Health Department's circular dated May 8, 2020, 2,192 contractual employees were entitled to R15,000 as COVID Encouragement Allowance."

"The beneficiaries included 79 contractual staff (clerks, pharmacist and technicians) employed with the Public Health Department, 1,120 contractual staff from National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC), Maternity Homes and Hospitals, 126 contractual staffers from Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), 431 contractual staff from Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) and 436 contractual staff from Mumbai District Aids Control Society."

"Contractual employees are paid less as compared to permanent BMC employees. Along with the salary, permanent employees get benefits, perks and were given the daily allowance of R300 until December 2020. We got only a part of the R15,000 promised to us between April, September 2020 and in January 2021," the staffer said.

Another staffer said, "I work as a contractual technician with a BMC-run centre of public health. Though I was not on direct COVID duty, we all have worked to support the teams under the public health department. In the initial days of COVID, we too worked as frontline staffers, ensuring the best possible service."

"The allowance was a great gesture by the BMC. I earn a monthly pay of Rs 14,000. I have received around Rs 10,000 out of the Rs 15,000. But I feel the BMC could have given us the allowance without capping the total amount," the staffer added. An MDAC (Mumbai District Aids Control Society) official said that they have asked their superiors to release the remaining amount to their 436 contractual employees.

A senior BMC health official said, "The allowance was a gesture of appreciation since the contractual staff was also putting their lives on the line. There were no funds available and the amount was to be arranged from the COVID kitty the corporation had. The amount was to be paid as per fund availability and not in lump sum," the official added.

What officials say
Dr Ramesh Bharmal, director, Medical Education and dean at LTMG Medical College and Hospital (Sion hospital), said, "We had hired a few contractual workers in the initial days of the pandemic through government-recognised and enlisted NGOs. Them not getting their allowance is a matter concerning the agency, which would be answerable and not BMC."

Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, BMC, said, "We have disbursed the funds as per the fund sanctions received and as per the circular. We will look into discrepancies at the individual level if any contractual staffer has witnessed them."

Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner (public health), said, "I will check with the concerned medical superintendent of the civic hospitals and with the public health department for the reason behind the delay in allowance payment. If it is due to a technical glitch, it would be resolved at the earliest." When asked if the BMC would consider paying the allowance to contractual staffers like the permanent employees from March to December, Kakani replied in the negative.

Rs 14,000
Monthly salary of such contractual workers

Rs 15,000
Allowance eligibility for BMC's contractual workers