The High Court of Patna has stayed the Department of Urban Development and Housing’s order to outsource daily wage sanitation workers across the State.
The bench presided by Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad was hearing a petition filed by Bihar Local Bodies Employee Federation, which submitted that around 25,000 daily wage sanitation workers would be affected by the department’s order of outsourcing work where the workers across the state would be removed from their jobs from June 1.
Senior Counsel Yogesh Chandra Verma appearing for the petitioners submitted that the department had issued the order on the basis of the Lokayukta’s order which was beyond its jurisdiction.
The bench accepting the petitioner’s contention directed the department to maintain status quo and file its reply before the next hearing on June 3.
The sanitation workers have been protesting against the departments orders and have been demanding regularization of their work.
In February 2020, the sanitation workers had resorted to indefinite strike because the urban development department (UDD), citing an order from the office of the Lokayukta, had directed all the municipal bodies, including the PMC, to stop engaging the services of daily wage workers in Group D with effect from January 31, 2020.
India Legal Bureau