Hundreds of sanitation workers of the Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC), covering all 106 wards, have been on strike for eight consecutive days, demanding higher wages and other benefits. The strike has paralysed the city’s sanitation system, with garbage piling up across Asansol. Opposition parties have staged protests, accusing the civic authorities of negligence.
Asansol, with a population of nearly 1.4 million, generates around 694 tonnes of solid waste daily. Despite the worsening situation, AMC has refused to raise wages, though it has shown willingness to consider other demands. Officials have warned that strict action will be taken if workers do not resume duties immediately.
Mayor Bidhan Upadhyay convened a meeting with AMC Chairman Amarnath Chatterjee, borough chairmen, and councillors to discuss the crisis. He later stated that sanitation workers currently receive Rs 357 per day plus Rs 50 towards provident fund contributions, amounting to Rs 407 daily—higher than in any other municipal corporation in Bengal. He stressed that a wage hike had been ruled out for two years following last year’s agreement, citing AMC’s financial constraints.
The Mayor acknowledged public hardship due to the strike but said the corporation was sympathetically considering demands related to provident fund and ESI benefits. He added that alternative arrangements were being explored to clear garbage, emphasising that while dismissals were not intended, protecting public health remained the civic body’s responsibility.
Meanwhile, the West Burdwan district administration is monitoring the situation. On Friday, Sub-Divisional Officer (Sadar) Biswajit Bhattacharya met AMC officials on the instructions of District Magistrate S Ponnabalam. The administration will decide its next steps after reviewing the Mayor’s meeting outcomes.
The Asansol North Assembly Youth Congress also staged a protest, demanding a permanent solution. In the Mayor’s absence, its members pasted a memorandum on his chamber door, along with photographs of garbage-strewn streets. Youth Congress president Gaurab Roy warned that if the issue is not resolved swiftly, a larger movement will be launched, holding the municipal administration responsible for the worsening public health risks.