MCG staff announce indefinite strike against SE's suspension

Gurugram, Sep 9 (IANS) In protest against the suspension of Superintendent Engineer (SE) Ramesh Sharma of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the Sarva Karmachari Sangh along with the MCG's engineering wing has announced an indefinite strike from Friday.

During the strike, the services of the fire department along with the sanitation system, sewerage system in the city may collapse. However, union leaders have said that the strike will not have any effect on the emergency services.

All the officers and employees of the Engineer Wing of the corporation went on a pen-down strike on Thursday after the suspension of SE Ramesh Sharma.

The engineers and employees protested by wearing black bands and raised slogans against the administration and the government. During this, MCG Welfare Association of All Engineers, Sarva Employees Union, Contractors Union also submitted a memorandum to Joint Commissioner Headquarters Hari Om Atri, addressing the MCG Commissioner.

The corporation engineers alleged that a councillor's husband and the son of the mayor Madhu Azad interfere in the work of the corporation, as well as participate in the internal meetings of the corporation.

A senior MCG official on condition of anonymity said that he does not have any problem with the councillor's husband and the mayor's son in the meetings of the corporation, but in these meetings the councillor's husband and the mayor's son misbehave with the officers and insult them. He said that this has happened many times.

"This is not the first time, this has happened many times. I was also abused a few days ago by the councillor's husband. No more insults will be tolerated. We demand that instead of unilateral action, a completely fair investigation should be conducted in the matter. Whoever is guilty should be punished," said an MCG official requesting anonymity.

"Sharma has been suspended wrongly, our entire union is with him. Our strike will continue. Our sweepers and all employees of the fire brigade will participate in this strike, the full responsibility for which will be on the government and the municipal administration" said Naresh Malakat, Secretary, Municipality Sarva Employees Union Haryana.

"The suspension of SE is right, He had misbehaved with me during a MCG meeting over the non-completion of a task which was related to public problems and we are here to resolve the people's complaints related to the MCG. The officers who are on strike are disobeying the orders of all the civic ministers," Madhu Azad, Mayor, MCG, told IANS.

Meanwhile, MCG Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja has said in the order issued on Thursday to all the officers and employees of the MCG that meetings and other administrative matters related to the business transactions of the civic body, should be attended by the members ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994.