Chennai- The Madras High Court on Monday adjourned to August 13 the hearing on a plea challenging the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) decision to outsource sanitary work in Zone 6 to a private firm. Justice K. Surender granted the adjournment after Advocate General (A-G) P.S. Raman sought time to file a fresh counter affidavit.

The A-G informed the court that corrections had been made to an affidavit already served on the petitioner and that the revised document required the Corporation Commissioner’s signature. The petition, filed by the Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI), contests a GCC resolution passed on June 16 awarding the contract to Telangana-based Delhi MSW Solutions Limited. During preliminary arguments, UUI’s counsel alleged that nearly 2,000 conservancy workers had been protesting for over 10 days against the move, accusing the civic body of ignoring their grievances.

“I am arguing both a case and a cause. Two thousand people are on the streets. They have been thrown out like garbage. This is how they are treating Aruthathiyar, Adi Dravidars, and women. This is now a battle between David and Goliath,” the counsel said, urging the court to grant an interim injunction against the outsourcing. The A-G denied the charges, stating that the workers were “in safe hands” and that their interests were not being compromised.

He assured the court that the Corporation’s stand would be detailed in the counter-affidavit. In his affidavit, UUI president K. Bharathi argued that GCC had no authority to outsource sanitary work and that such duties must be carried out either by permanent or directly engaged temporary workers. He maintained that temporary workers — many hired under the National Urban Livelihood Mission and through self-help groups — had the right to be absorbed into permanent posts.

Bharathi also pointed out that an industrial dispute over the outsourcing had already been referred to the Industrial Tribunal on July 28, and that the GCC could not proceed without its permission. Meanwhile, before the first Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, an advocate raised concerns over traffic disruptions caused by protesting sanitary workers outside Ripon Buildings, the GCC headquarters. The Bench agreed to hear a related public interest litigation on August 12.(IANS)