800 Sanitation Workers Detained By Police In Chennai

The removal of the agitating workers late night after protesting for 13 days drew criticism from the state's opposition party

Sanitation Workers strike in Chennai
Representative image File Photo
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Summary
Summary of this article
  • Sanitation workers detained by police for protesting avainst privatization of waste management

  • Move draws heat from Tamil Nadu's opposition parties

The sanitation workers were detained by the police late night on Wednesday for protesting outside the Ripon building, the head office of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). The workers were protesting against the privatization of waste management from August 1 continuously for 13 days.

According to the protesting workers, the privatisation of the waste management is a threat to their job security, livelihoods and exposes them to exploitation by private agencies.

Earlier, the GCC had triggered outrage by announcing plans to outsource waste management in Royapuram (Zone 5) and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar (Zone 6) from August 1. These were among the last remaining zones under direct GCC control, with 10 out of Chennai's 15 zones already managed by private contractors such as Spain-based Urbaser-Sumeet and Andhra Pradesh-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd (REEL),  The Daily Jagran  reported. 

AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami and TVK founder-actor Vijay condemned the ruling DMK over the police action. BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran, condemning the detention of the protestors, in a post on X, said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin did not have the heart to meet the protesting workers, but had time to extend wishes to a film crew. This was shameful.

In a post on X, K. Selvaperunthagai, president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), an ally of the ruling DMK, expressed concern over the manner in which the protesters were evacuated and detained.

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