Sweeper since 1994, monthly honorarium Rs 50, Ghulam Hassan hopes he might be regularized

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag: For seventeen years Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, a sweeper in Government Middle School Anantnag, is being paid a monthly honorarium of Rs 5O.

A resident of Anantnag’s Sundoo area, Sheikh began his job a sweeper in 1994 and in 2011 Government had ordered Education department to regularise class 4th employees.

“The then Commissioner Secretary to Government School Education Department vide letter (No. Edu-I/227/2009) had asked the School Education Department to regularize the class 4th employees and increase their remuneration to Rs 110 per month.”

“But the order is yet to be implemented. Only some sweepers were regularized and I am still getting Rs 50 per month,” he said.

Sheikh takes care of seven family members including his wife, children, and an elderly mother.

“I could only survive because I began to make pillows and that is how I was able to meet the basic requirements of my family. My elder children work as laborers,” he said.