BMC workers also want safe accommodation

After requests by MMR municipal corporations and councils to the BMC to provide accommodation in Mumbai to those travelling there every day for essential services fell on deaf ears employees unions have demanded that all frontline warriors be treated equallyAdvocate Prakash Devdas Convener of All Municipal Unions Coordination Committee said BMC has to give equal treatment to all frontline warriors Some of the security guards are staying in a godown with just one toilet for 20 people BMC asked sweepers to stay in schools without adequate facilities Workers need accommodation with facilitiesAlmost 6070 per cent of the cases in MMR include people who travel to Mumbai for work or their contacts While the BMC has made arrangements for the stay of health and water supply staff it has not yet agreed to MMRs appeals for accommodation for around 55000 othersThe Municipal Union General Secretary Ramakant Bane pointed out that the workers spend more than four hours travelling to work every day Many workers especially labourers stay in small houses outside the city have been requesting the civic body for accommodation but the corporation is turning a blind eye However there are a few employees who need to go back home every day Bane saidOf the one lakh employees reporting to work since the BMC issued 100 per cent attendance directive around 5055000 live outside city limits Then there are those who work in private sectors like hospitals laboratories banks etc MMR which includes Thane Thane Rural Navi Mumbai KalyanDombivli Ulhasnagar BhiwandiNizampur MiraBhayandar Palghar and VasaiVirar collectively has 1596 patients mdash 16 per cent of that in MumbaiMiraBhayandar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Chandrakant Dange told midday Out of 190 confirmed patients almost 100 either work in Mumbai or are their close contacts As of now MiraBhayandar city has 71 active patients and only 21 of them dont have a link to Mumbai Maximum patients are related to health professionals and there are private hospital staff tooDange said they expressed their concerns in a letter to the private hospitals where 36 residents work but didnt get any response He said the situation is worsening and he will send a letter to the BMC as wellIt takes nearly three hours to reach office We have to wait for the bus which then makes rounds to pick up other employees But at least we eat homemade food and go back to our children at night said one of the BMC employeesSJ Kunte deputed for COVID19 work in rest of MMR pointed out that no is forced to stay in Mumbai There isnt any travel ban on residents in MMR who go to Mumbai for essential services But it is important to control the virus transmission by restricting travel and if the BMC can arrange the duties of essential staff in a way that they can stay back home for 1015 days and work in the city on other days it will help to reduce the number of COVID19 patients in other corporations saidWe have provided accommodation in some of hotels for staff related to essential services like doctors nurses etc But there is a limitation and it is hard to provide the facility to all the employees said a senior BMC officialNo of COVID19 patients as on May 5Mumbai 9945Thane Rural 82Thane 466Navi Mumbai 415KalyanDombivli 227Ulhasnagar 12BhiwandiNizampur 20MiraBhayandar 182Palghar 31VasaiVirar 161Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news