63 ex-servicemen working with the PMC allege discrimination

63 ex-servicemen working with the PMC allege discrimination

PUNE: The 63 ex-servicemen working with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have alleged that after working for over 17 years, the civic body has not made them permanent and several of them have not been paid salaries for over a year. 

Dr Sudhakar Panikar, President of Maji Sainik Vikas Parishad, at a press conference at Patrakar Bhavan on Wednesday, said, “The State government reserved posts for ex-servicemen and there are over 420 such posts vacant in the PMC. But the officials are not making recruitments or filling these posts (class 3 and 4) with those who are already working since 1999. Out of 65 ex-servicemen, two died. The PMC officials are not following the Mumbai High Court which directed them to make these veterans permanent employees.” These ex-servicemen, many of whom participated in the Kargil War, have knocked on every door possible – from District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of India, but in vain. 

“Whenever we meet PMC authorities they assure us but do nothing. Without any evidence or case, they allege these veterans are corrupt, which is shameful. We will file a defamation case against the PMC demanding compensation of Rs one crore for every ex-serviceman. Many PMC officers are in the same post for three years, which is against the government norms, but nobody objects about it,” Panikar added. 

Havildar (retd) DS Jadhav said, “The assistant is paid Rs 11,000 and the supervisor Rs 14,000. Is it enough for the amount of work we do?”

Naik (retd) Shaikh Allahbasksh added, “I have not got my salary for the last 13 months. Whenever I ask the authorities they pass the buck to others.”

When contacted, Shivaji Duandkar, PMC’s Labour Officer, said, “According to a High Court order, during a recruitment process of Class 3 and 4 staffers, the PMC gives relaxation in age limit criteria of ND squad members. The Court hasn’t directed us to take them into corporation service. They have to fulfil other criteria as mentioned in the advertisement. Till date, the PMC hasn’t started their recruitment process and when the process starts, we will follow the court order.” 

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