GUWAHATI, May 11 � Behind the high-rises, swanky malls and sleek coffee houses in the capital city, there is another world where squalor and congestion dictate life but without its existence life in the other high end world of the city would be thrown out of gear.
As per a study conducted by the Society for Social Transformation and Environment Protection, a non-government organisation, it has been found that majority of the poor providing petty services to the city dwellers are from the slum areas in the city.
�People of both sexes and children are involved in petty services. This group of people has contributed in the development of the city but the general populace hardly accepts the fact and none has ever advocated for their basic rights,� said an official of the Society for Social Transformation and Environment Protection.
It needs to be mentioned here that the study has covered the way of living of the people involved in petty services and highlighted the problems faced by them.
�They apply all their physical strength and skill to their respective services. They have to pay to the government authority, local goondas, local committees, brokers legally or illegally. The majority of them earn on daily basis. Though they work from early morning till late evening, their earning hardly ranges from Rs. 50 to 100,� said the official.
The study has sorted a list of petty services which include daily wage labourer, cobbler, barber, mechanic, rag picking, carrying water to hill, carrying goods to hill, exchange of damaged note, selling of raw coconut, selling lottery ticket, repairing of torch light, umbrella etc.
As their earnings do not suffice to live in hygienic and better environment, these people involved in petty services have to live in the slum. Due to lack of skill, capital, training they cannot opt for better earning activities. Majority of them do not have savings.
The study has also found that some of the service based occupations are hereditary. For example, barber, cobbler and sweepers are hereditary based.
According to the study, the Harijan community even today is facing social exclusion and so majority of them do not want to come out of the occupation.
The study has also pointed out that the government programmes fail to reach these poor of the city. So, they always look for changing their occupation from less to a better earning one.
