Coimbatore: A few engineers, graduates and diploma holders were among those who formed a bee line for the job of sanitation workers in the City Corporation.

The city corporation has called for applications for the posts of 549 grade-1 sanitation workers and a whopping 7,000 applications were received for the thee-day interview and verification of certificates, which began Wednesday, November 27, official sources said.

On verification, it was found that nearly 70 per cent of the candidates have completed SSLC, the minimum qualification, a few engineers, post-graduates and graduates and diploma holders, they said.

In some cases, it was found the applicants were already employed in private firms, but the government job attracted them as the starting salary is Rs.15,700.

Those already working as the contract sanitation workers for the last 10 years have also applied for these permanent jobs.

Many graduate applicants had not not received the jobs according to the qualification and had to work to support the family with a meager Rs.6,000 to Rs.7,000 salary in private firms, also applied.

There is no stipulated working hour in these firms, sometimes 12 hours, with night shifts and fear of getting fired any time, they said.

But a sanitation worker can get a salary of nearly Rs.20,000 and with the timings of three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening, there is an option of doing other part time works during leisure time.

The corporation now employs 2,000 permanent and 500 contract sanitation workers.