Haryana Government Agrees to All 17 Demands of Rural Sanitation Workers Announces Minister Panwar

The Haryana government has agreed to fulfil all 17 demands of rural sanitation workers, Development and Panchayats Minister Krishan Lal Panwar announced on Saturday. Panwar held a meeting with office-bearers of the Gramin Safai Karamchari Union, Haryana, in Panipat on 31 October, where the workers’ long-pending demands were discussed in detail. As part of the agreement, 12 requisition letters have already been issued.

Union president Basau Ram and secretary Vinod Kumar described the meeting as positive and satisfactory. They said the government gave a patient hearing to the employees’ demands and agreed to fulfil all 17 of them, bringing a long-pending issue to a welcome resolution for workers across the state’s villages.

The benefits agreed for the workers were set out in a letter issued on 10 September. They include payment of pending honorarium dues, payment of honorarium to eligible employees for the strike period in October 2023, and an allowance of Rs 200 per day for duty outside their own villages. The annual uniform allowance rises from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000, while the washing allowance increases from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500.

Panwar said the state government is committed to resolving the genuine problems of employees and protecting their interests. He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the government is continuously working for the all-round development of villages and for strengthening the rural system. The State Finance Commission has released Rs 579 crore for the development of 6,230 gram panchayats across Haryana.

Development and Panchayats Department Director Sushil Sarwan said the department has taken the necessary steps following the agreement with the union. For the rural sanitation workers who keep Haryana’s villages clean every day, the agreement means pending dues will be cleared and their allowances will rise, a step the government presents as part of its wider work for village development and employee welfare.