MLA Saryu Roy Corners JNAC Over Underpaid Sanitation Workers

Jamshedpur: Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy blamed the city’s civic authorities for failing to pay sanitation workers the state-mandated minimum wages. During a field inspection, Roy also raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the workers’ Provident Fund (PF) and Employee State Insurance (ESI) benefits.

On Wednesday, the legislator toured Kunj Nagar in Sonari alongside his public amenity representative, Mukul Mishra, to review local civic conditions.

Roy also criticized the severe workforce shortages. Against a sanctioned strength of 50 sanitation workers for Kunj Nagar, only 32 were present on duty, directly crippling local cleanliness operations. The sanitation workers on site met the MLA and complained that they were not receiving their full legal wages.

Flouting Government Wage Notifications

Roy pointed out that according to the Jharkhand government notification issued on April 1, 2026, unskilled labourers must receive a mandatory minimum wage of ₹491 per day, which should include standard deductions for PF and ESI. However, the workers informed the MLA that they are completely unaware of how much money is being deducted from their salaries for these benefits.

Roy telephoned senior officials of the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC). He directed the civic body to provide clarity on the exact PF and ESI breakdown. He further instructed that all workers who have been excluded from the ESI scheme so far must be enrolled without delay.

Demands Formulated Systemic Overhaul

Criticizing the sluggish state of affairs, Roy remarked, “We have been witnessing the same broken system for the past ten years without any visible improvement.” “This must be rectified immediately. The city needs an adequate number of sanitation workers, and JNAC must submit a comprehensive report on this current workforce deficit.”

The MLA announced that he will soon extend his inspection drive to Kadma and Mango municipal areas. “Unfortunately, we are forced to see the same civic failures year after year,” Roy added. “We need a permanent, institutionalized system for urban sanitation.”