Sanitation workers of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) were today felicitated by the Greater Laban Community Development Society in Shillong for their untiring service during the lockdown and performing Covid funerals.
Altogether 15 workers were given the ‘COVID-19 Noble Service Award’ by president of the society and MLA Sanbor Shullai in the presence of Rangbah Shnongs of Raid Laban Dorbar, Seng Kynthei, besides others.
SMB Executive Engineer, FB Chyne told reporters that there were 400 field workers pressed into service due to the pandemic. “When the pandemic started right from the sanitization of various localities, building and institutions, collection of garbage from corona care and quarantine centers, hotels and disposing them to the funeral cremation was done by our staffs who work tirelessly to serve the people,” he said.
While shortage of staff was one of the challenges that the SMB faced since most of them had to quarantine when the pandemic was at its peak, Chyne said he was happy because all the staff lived up to the motto of ‘Service before self’.
He also said that the pandemic has also affected revenue generation sources of the board. However, their support system comes from the State government as most of the contractual staff are being paid as per the minimum wage issued by the labour department.
Meanwhile, M Lyngdoh Assistant Manager of the SMB in charge of Solid waste Management informed that to date a total of 104 cremations of the COVID deaths in East Khasi Hills district were conducted by the SMB workers.
