While ‘Swachh Bharat’ is a much talked about campaign by the central as well as state government, most of its foot soldiers continue to be neglected. Thousands of conservancy workers gathered at the Azad Maidan yesterday under the leadership of National Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), demanding equal rights and minimum wages. Though in February 2015 minimum wages were agreed upon to contractual conservancy workers, they are not yet paid these. Workers from across Maharashtra were present at the spot demanding inclusion in the same.

According to the NTUI, even as cities are expanding and population is increasing, the number of permanent safai workers is decreasing because of retirements, deaths and no new recruitment. This shortfall is filled by workers through contractors, under whom they are exploited with no appropriate remuneration and lack of safety equipment.