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According to BBMPprescribed ratio, the required number of Pourakarmikas is 1Pourakarmika per 700 people in the City. BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad issued an order to this effect on 22 December 2017, after the civic body's time and motion study revealed that one pourakarmika can clean for 700 people. If a place requires more workers, an approval has to be taken from the zone's joint commissioner. As per this calculation, the City currently needs approximately 18,500 Pourakarmikas.

As of 2019, about 18,000 workers have been identified to be working as Pourakarmikas in Bengaluru. In 2017, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) conducted a detailed audit of Pourakarmikas registered on its payrolls. The audit number of Pourakarmikas was 15,000 which did not match the earlier said numbers of 32,000, suggesting a scam by contractors who list ghost profiles to claim larger payments.

On August 14th, 2016, the State Government issued a notification stating that Rs. 14,040/- should be the minimum wages payable to all contract pourakarmikas across the state. Despite the same, the BBMP failed to comply. Thereafter, massive demonstrations were held outside the BBMP office, demanding the implementation of the notification of the minimum wages. As a result, finally, the question of compliance with the notification was placed before the BBMP Council on the November 29th, 2016 and was approved. Yet, the workers are still paid a meagerly Rs. 7,000/-.

The Pourakarmikas work between 6 am to 2.30 pm to keep the city clean, bearing all weather conditions. They get a short 15-20 mins break for breakfast. They do not have any other designated breaks.

Pourakarmikas do not have weekly holidays, and instead have two half-days in a week. They are also not entitled for any national holidays either.

On July 11, 2019 40-year-old Subramani T, a Pourakarmika, ended his life over non-receipt of salary for 7 months. Immediately after this the BBMP released a sum of 27 Crores towards pending salary of 21,695 Pourakarmikas.