Patna, Jan. 20: If Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has its way, its employees of water supply and sanitation wings of the civic body will not be able to go on strike. The corporation has sent a proposal to the state government to include services of the employees of these departments under Essential Services Maintenance Act (Esma).

“A proposal has been sent to the urban development department to include services of the water supply and sanitation wings of PMC under Esma. Frequent strikes by the employees have been severely affecting the civic works. The move will ensure regular work,” said a senior PMC official.

The official added: “Water supply and cleaning are the two very important civic facilities offered by the corporation and the step is being taken to ensure that these services are strengthened. There have been frequent strikes by the employees of these departments in recent years. The entire city turns into a huge garbage dump whenever it happens. We are, therefore, taking the precautionary measure.”

Sources said the move would affect about 2,000 regular employees in the sanitation department and about 300 employees in the water supply department.

Most of the employees and their union leaders were visibly unhappy over the new proposal. Chandra Prakash Singh, the president of PMC Workers’ Union, said: “The number of strikes in PMC has gone down. There has been no strike after 2009. However, in a public service utility, it is the constitutional right of the employees and it cannot be snatched,” he said.

Jyoti Gupta, the PMC corporator from ward number 37 and the president of Water Board Employees’ Union, said: “The PMC has been failing to pay regular salaries to its employees. They are not given any promotions or even basic facilities like provident funds. Snatching their rights to go on strike to get their demands fulfilled is unfair.”

She also said the PMC depends on government grants to pay salaries but runs into deficit every month.

“While the civic body needs about Rs 40 crore for salaries, it generates a meagre Rs 15-20 crore as revenue. When the employees are not being paid properly, how can they be expected to work efficiently?” asked another union member.

An employee of the PMC told The Telegraph: “How does the administration expect us to work and support our families without a regular salary? We do not think civic employees of any other state capital are treated so badly. On top of it, we will also not have the right to protest. This is suppression of our democratic rights. We will not keep quiet over it.”

A group of employees of water board had staged a weeklong dharna early this month led by Gupta.