Even now, Mumbai has the highest burden of TB cases in the state, and the TB control department staff plays a key role in treating patients as well as disease surveillance. A senior treatment supervisor with the TB department since 2006 said that next year, there will be a demand for the bonus to be at par with BMC’s permanent employees. “It has been a long struggle for workers who have been in the department even before me. We were given assurances only last November and now this has become a reality,” he said.

The union and workers further stated that city TB officer Dr Varsha Puri played a key role in the development. “She moved our request ahead to the higher-ups and also held multiple meetings on the issue,” the supervisor said. Dr Puri was unavailable for comment.