May 11, 2002	Saturday	Safar 27, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

QUETTA: May 10: Sanitary conditions worsened here as the sanitary workers continued their strike along with the other government employees in the provincial capital.

Dirt and filth remained spread all over the city, with many major sewerage choked since April 13 last.

Most of the gutters were overflowing inundating the residential and commercial localities, making the life of the locals miserable.

The strikers, mostly sanitary workers, were demanding a 40 per cent raise in their utility allowance.

Though some of the shopkeepers hired the Afghan refugees for removing the garbage and clearing the drains during the day, the protestors stuffed the sewage lines with stones and polythene late at night so that their strike could be felt effective.

Earlier, a previous government under Sardar Atkhar Mengal had conceded the demand of 22 districts of the province in 1997, excluding Quetta.

The present government offered 20 per cent allowance for calling off the protest which the strikers rejected. Then it strongly retaliating sacked hundreds of the protesting employees, and announced new recruitment.

But there was no indication that the low-grade workers would give in to the government pressure. Scores of the strikers were arrested, sent to jail, some others resorted to hunger strike while some of their groups are holding rallies and meetings in support of their demands.