Mumbai: Week on, BMC reinstates sacked sweeper Sunil Yadav

After the report on how Sunil Yadav was summarily removed from his job, BMC had justified its action by saying move had been to facilitate his requested transfer

The unceremonious dismissal of sweeper Sunil Yadav

Less than a week after mid-day highlighted how the BMC had summarily removed its most educated sweeper, Sunil Yadav, the civic body has reinstated him. BMC officials had earlier told this paper that this was merely so Yadav could be transferred to another ward, as he had requested. But the 37-year-old is now questioning why he has been reinstated in the same ward again.

As this paper had reported earlier, Yadav holds four degrees and is now pursuing a PhD at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He had asked to be transferred from D ward to M ward so he could work closer to the Institute. Instead, he received a letter stating that he had been relieved of his duties in D ward.

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He has now received yet another letter stating that he can re-join service in the same ward. While his request for a transfer to M ward remains hanging, Yadav is relieved to have his job back.

“A letter was issued on Thursday to my section head in D ward to put me back on duty. I am certainly relieved, as I can go back to work, but I do not understand why the first letter was issued at all,” said Yadav.

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The civic body is placing roadblocks in his path to higher education, alleged Yadav. “My application for a transfer has been pending at the BMC for over three years now. They suddenly told me that I had been relieved of my duties.

There was no mention in the notice about where I would be working next. It obviously was a shock for me, as I cannot afford to lose job and salary,” said Yadav.

He further alleged that his transfer was being blocked by senior officials to prevent him from blowing the whistle on any wrongdoings in M Ward.

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Despite repeated attempts to contact the head of Yadav’s department, Siraj Ansari, chief engineer (solid waste management), he remained unavailable for comment.

3
Number of years his transfer request has been pending

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