Sanitation workers found collecting SIR forms in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Coimbatore corporation’s sanitation workers were found collecting special intensive revision (SIR) enumeration forms from residents in Olympus area in Ramanathapuram on Thursday. Sources said the workers involved in the door-to-door waste collection had simultaneously collected the SIR forms from the public in the absence of the booth level officers (BLOs).At least three sanitation workers were involved in the SIR form collection in Olympus area. As per norms, BLOs should collect the forms from voters, sign them and give a signed copy back to the voter.A corporation councillor from the ruling party said, “Every official is involved in the SIR form collection, leaving behind the routine civic work. Sanitation workers, even contract sanitation workers, are involved. Involving them in the process is inappropriate and unapproved. While the corporation is primarily facing a manpower shortage in the waste collection and source segregation, involving sanitation workers for such additional activities will worsen the civic sanitation. It seems each of the assistant engineers has been provided with a target of collecting two lakh forms each before Dec 4.”A senior official from the district administration said sanitation workers were not authorised for SIR form collection. “Anyone involved in the collection of SIR enumeration forms will have to do it under the monitoring of the BLOs. Also, the corporation commissioner will be informed about sanitation workers being involved in SIR form collection. It will be ensured that no such activities are further reported from elsewhere.”