Karnataka to Double Pourakarmika Refreshment Allowance, Announces CM Shivakumar
Karnataka will raise the refreshment allowance for pourakarmikas from ₹35 to ₹70 and set up a Cabinet sub-committee to address their demands, CM D.K. Shivakumar said.
Karnataka will soon double the refreshment allowance paid to pourakarmikas, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced on Friday at the Pourakarmikas' Day programme held at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru. The allowance will rise from ₹35 to ₹70 once the government issues the necessary order.
Addressing civic workers at the event, the Chief Minister said a Cabinet sub-committee would be formed to examine their demands, covering matters related to their boards, welfare measures and welfare funds.
Mr. Shivakumar reiterated the government's commitment to regularising the remaining pourakarmikas and giving them permanent employment in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited.
He said Karnataka Public Schools would be set up in urban areas for the children of pourakarmikas. "Our aim is for your children to study, become leaders and create new employment opportunities. We want your children to become IAS and KAS officers," he said.
The government has decided to provide ₹7.5 lakh for the construction of houses for civic workers, he added. A pourakarmika bhavan will also be built, with work scheduled to begin within two months.
Since the Congress government came to power in 2023, 12,609 pourakarmikas have been regularised, while 6,000 workers have been appointed in local bodies, the Chief Minister said. He also announced that Pourakarmikas' Day would be organised every year.