Mumbai: Lowest-paid BMC contractors get the short shrift

Contractual staffers working for the civic body amid the COVID19 pandemic have demanded a daily lsquoCOVID Encouragement Allowancersquo 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 15000Health workers screen residents of Dindoshi Goregaon in October 2020 File picThe allowance for contractual workers cost the civic body R382 crore A contractual civic staffer who did not wish to be identified said ldquoAs per the BMCrsquos Public Health Departmentrsquos circular dated May 8 2020 2192 contractual employees were entitled to R15000 as COVID Encouragement AllowancerdquoldquoThe beneficiaries included 79 contractual staff clerks pharmacist and technicians employed with the Public Health Department 1120 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 SocietyrdquoldquoContractual 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 R15000 promised to us between April September 2020 and in January 2021rdquo the staffer saidAnother staffer said ldquoI work as a contractual technician with a BMCrun 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 servicerdquoldquoThe allowance was a great gesture by the BMC I earn a monthly pay of Rs 14000 I have received around Rs 10000 out of the Rs 15000 But I feel the BMC could have given us the allowance without capping the total amountrdquo 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 employeesA senior BMC health official said ldquoThe 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 sumrdquo the official addedWhat officials sayDr Ramesh Bharmal director Medical Education and dean at LTMG Medical College and Hospital Sion hospital said ldquoWe had hired a few contractual workers in the initial days of the pandemic through governmentrecognised and enlisted NGOs Them not getting their allowance is a matter concerning the agency which would be answerable and not BMCrdquoDr Mangala Gomare executive health officer BMC said ldquoWe 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 themrdquoSuresh Kakani additional commissioner public health said ldquoI 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 earliestrdquo 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 negativeRs 14000Monthly salary of such contractual workersRs 15000Allowance eligibility for BMCrsquos contractual workers