Sanitation workers to go on strike over ‘assault’ by councillor

Dehradun: Sanitation workers of Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) have announced to go on an indefinite strike from Friday after a female staff member alleged she was physically assaulted by a councillor on Thursday over cleaning duties in Basant Vihar. She also claimed that she suffered injuries after councillor Abhishek Tiwari pushed her, causing her to fall on the ground.The worker, Maya, 44, who has served as a sanitation employee for the past 10 years, claimed that the Panditwadi councillor, during the roll call, asked her to clear accumulated dog excreta from a drain. Maya said she requested guidance from her supervisor instead, and along with other staff, suggested that pet owners should be made responsible for cleaning such mess.However, Tiwari allegedly became aggressive and assaulted her, causing a serious injury to her right wrist. She then lodged a complaint at Vasant Vihar police station and claimed that she was threatened with removal from her position. In response, sanitation workers staged a protest outside the DMC office on Thursday evening. Union president Sonu Khairwal said Tiwari had harassed staff in the past. The union has called for a complete boycott starting Friday."Two months ago, he threatened three personnel and we submitted a complaint with the commissioner's office, after which he apologised. This is no way for a councillor to behave. We demand his removal and strict action by the authorities," Khairwal said.Councillor Tiwari, however, denied all allegations. "A resident needed some work done and I shared the supervisor's number with them. The supervisor may have directed her to act, but her refusal led to a complaint against her. During roll call, she complained, but there was no assault. These allegations are entirely false and CCTV footage will confirm this," he said. Municipal authorities have intervened to manage the situation. DMC commissioner Namami Bansal said, "Filing a police complaint is the staff's prerogative and an investigation will clarify whether the claims are true or false. We have extended support to the victim and are taking steps to ensure that city cleanliness is not disrupted. We will meet a sanitation delegation on Friday to resolve the issue."