8,000 PMC employees on strike amid dengue outbreak in Patna

Patna, Sep 21 (IANS) Amid dengue outbreak, a total of  8,000 contractual employees of Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC), on Thursday, went on an indefinite strike demanding fulfillment of their various demands.

The employees were demanding the same work and same salary in the department but the municipal commissioner had increased only Rs 30 per day to the contractual employees.

"We are going on indefinite strike from today. We have various demands which are not fulfilled by the PMC. Hence, we are left with no choice than to go on a strike. The sanitation work has completely stopped in the municipal corporation area," said Chandra Prakash Singh, president of the convener committee of employees of PMC.

"There is a huge difference in salary between outsourcing employees and regular employees. Moreover, the municipal commissioner has increased only Rs 30 per day to outsourcing employees which is not acceptable," he added.

The sanitation employees' strike comes at a time when several districts of Bihar, including Patna, is under the grip of dengue.

In the last 20 days, as many as 2,824 cases were recorded in the state, while a total of 3,099 cases surfaced from January to September 20 this year.

On Wednesday, of the total 333 dengue cases in the state, 105 were reported in Patna .

At present, 20 patients are said to be IGIMS Patna, 16 in PMCH Patna, 10 in NMCH Patna, 16 in SKMCH Muzaffarpur, 8 in DMCH Darbhanga, 115 in JLNMCH Bhagalpur,25 in ANMMCH Gaya, 3 in GMC Bettiah, 10 in GMC Purnea, 4 in JNMC Madhepura and 31 in VIMS Pawapuri.