Haryana government agrees to all 17 demands of rural sanitation workers

The Haryana government has agreed to all 17 demands raised by rural sanitation workers following a meeting between Development and Panchayats Minister Krishan Lal Panwar and representatives of the Haryana Gramin Safai Karamchari Union in Panipat on Saturday.

The meeting was held at the PWD Rest House in the presence of Panchayat Department Director Sushil Sarwan, where the minister discussed the workers' long-pending demands in detail. Panwar said the government had accepted the demands, including an increase in honorariums, payment of arrears and revisions to various allowances.

"The government has reached an agreement on all 17 demands raised by the sanitation workers. Several key demands, including increases in honorariums, the payment of arrears, and enhancements to various allowances, have been accepted sympathetically. Furthermore, the necessary official communications regarding 12 of these demands have already been issued," Panwar said in a statement.

Official communications issued on 12 demands

The latest agreement follows welfare measures announced by the Haryana government in September after earlier discussions with sanitation workers. These included raising their monthly honorarium from Rs 16,000 to Rs 18,100, along with payment of arrears arising from the increase from January 2026.

The measures also provided for payment of pending honorarium to eligible workers for the October 2023 strike period and an allowance of Rs 200 per day for those assigned duties outside their villages. The annual uniform allowance was increased from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000, while the washing allowance was raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500.

The government also directed that honorariums be paid by the seventh of every month. In the event of a worker's death while on duty, one member of the family would be considered for a job on compassionate grounds, with the Block Development and Panchayat Officer's office helping the family with EPF and ESI claim procedures.

Union describes meeting as satisfactory

The union representatives described Saturday's meeting as satisfactory, saying the government had heard their concerns and agreed to fulfil all 17 demands.

The agreement is expected to address several long-standing concerns of rural sanitation workers across Haryana, particularly those relating to their remuneration, allowances and welfare benefits.