State, Insecurity and Policy Gaps: The Life of Pourakarmikas in Bangalore, Karnataka

Abstract

In the present neoliberal times, civic workers everywhere live  a life of precarity, without being recognised for their services and left to the vagaries of a market-oriented state. In Karnataka, the Pourakarmikas / Civic workers are facing an existential challenge due to temporary/contract-based employment for the past three decades. Various committees were constituted over time and proposed measures to improve the conditions of Pourakarmikas. The Salappa Committee in 1976, the “Three-Member Official Committee” in 2013, and the Report of the National Law School University of India in 2002 were significant, recommending improvements in their working conditions, including the regularisation of jobs and amenities. These reports have identified the deplorable working conditions, policy lacunae, and implementation shortcomings. Further, the majority of Pourakarmikas are from the Dalit community; the social location adds further weightage towards their exclusion from the policy protections of the state. The present study examines the socio-economic conditions of the Pourakarmikas in Bangalore. It further interrogates social-economic exclusion from both the perspectives of the state and the Pourakarmikas, using in-depth interviews and Focused Group Discussions (FGD), and field observation. The methodology involves Deductive Qualitative Analysis (DQA) to understand the extent of exclusion and discrimination within the neoliberal framework. The research captures the social and legal awareness of Pourakarmikas and the role of social work/civil society in strengthening their understanding of standing up for and fighting for their rights.