COVID-19: BBMP marshals hit hard by salary delays

Bengaluru: The BBMP has not paid the salary of the last three months to the marshals who are tasked with the responsibility of enforcing Covid-19 norms in the city,

Reportedly, one of the reasons cited for the delay is a BBMP decision to pay salaries to marshals from fines they collect and related files being held up at various levels.

Marshals, who were originally recruited to help BBMP manage solid waste in the city, but when Covid-19 kicked in, they were put in charge of enforcing Covid-19 safety rules such as ensuring people wore masks and maintained social distancing to check the spread of the virus have not been paid for three months now.

The officials had set targets to book violations to these Marshals, after deductions of about Rs 1,500 draw a salary of Rs 17,000 every month. However, the BBMP has not paid the last three months and the marshals are in distress and are finding it difficult to run their families.