Gumboots for conservancy workers soon

8220;Everyone has seen the poor quality of gumboots that have been provided to these workers. If Rs 4 crore is to be spent on the new boots, then we should ensure that they are of a high quality,8221; said standing committee member and Congress corporator Waqarunnisa Ansari. 8220;Presently, the gum boots used by workers wear off in couple of weeks and they get corns and blisters,8221; she added.

However, she questioned the rationale behind giving female conservancy workers gumboots. 8220;Can you see women wearing gumboots under their saris? They should be provided with gloves and trolleys that do not tip over.8221;

Responding to queries raised by corporators about the issue of quality of gumboots, additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar reassured them claiming, 8220;The boots in the proposal are of a high quality, as they are flame retardant and unaffected by chemicals or acid.8221;

He added that the price of Rs 800 per pair may seem lofty; but the boots had to be specially ordered on a need-driven basis since these were not regular boots

In August this year, the Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh KVSS, the union for conservancy workers had protested against BMC additional municipal commissioner, R.A. Rajeev for not providing the workers with appropriate footwear for their jobs.

The commissioner had responded, claiming that the responsibility for providing boots lay with the contracted agencies that hired these workers and that the BMC had already paid the agencies to cover all the workers8217; needs.

Taking note of the Committee8217;s decision, KVSS praised the decision, describing it as a step in the right direction with the civic body waking up to the needs of the workers.

8220;It8217;s all well and good for the BMC to provide boots, like the cheap gumboots they provided after our agitation in August,8221; said Ranade.

However, he added that what the workers really needed were safety shoes and not gumboots. 8220;By not consulting workers and ordering the gumboots, the BMC may have to dispose of the boots if they are of no use to anyone,8221; he added.