(Ghost in the machine...continued)


Wordless BBMP

Sri Dr. Shivasharanappa S, the public relations officer (PRO) of the BBMP, said he was not aware of ghost workers on the contractors’ attendance sheets. “I don’t know whether they are employing fewer workers or not,” he said. “If you are telling that they are employing less, then we want to know the exact figures and why they have done this and who it is.”

An RTI request was submitted in February to the officer of the BBMP for the billing records for ward numbers 11(a), 56(b), 12(a), 13 (a), 13 (c), 53 (d) and 53 (e) So far, the BBMP has not replied to the request for information.

Pourakarmikas in some areas say they have to work extra due to lack of man power. Picture by: Shravya Jain

BBMP Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena has not replied to a letter sent to his office April 23 asking for clarification of the discrepancy in the number of workers contracted and the number actually working.

Billing for “ghost workers” is a problem in many wards across Bangalore, said Clifton D Rozario, a lawyer with Alternate Law Forum, which is a nonprofit group that offers legal help to the poor.

From their side, pouramarmikas said in wards where there are fewer workers than what the health ward contract calls for, the present workers must do twice the tasks for half the pay.

Jayamma, a pourakarmika in Chandra Layout, said she was aware that there were ghost workers in her ward. “As a result, people have to do extra work at less pay,” she said.

The contracts expired in March 2010 but were extended for three more months by the BBMP pending a public interest litigation case filed by former Bangalore Mayor P.R. Ramesh in the Karnataka High Court.

Ramesh filed the case in July 2009 to stay the tender process of new 30-year contracts for the same work.

According to the petition, the BBMP had shown “undue haste calling for expressions of interest for a contract that is likely to fetch Rs 300 crore per year.” Ramesh said in a telephone interview that several irregularities in the existing system needed to be addressed before a new contract is signed.