Mayor calls urgent House meet over recruitment of sewermen

Jalandhar, February 24

An urgent house meeting was called today by Mayor Jagdish Raj Raja to pass the agenda of recruitment of 160 sewermen on an outsourcing basis in the presence of councillors and opposition leaders. Notably, safai karamcharis had demanded to take back the proposal to recruit sanitation staff on an outsourcing basis and in protest stopped the work from today. The effect of the protest was visible in several areas of the city from where garbage was not lifted.

Hence, in the presence of around 55 councillors, it was decided that 160 sewermen would be recruited and besides, 545 safai karamcharis would also be recruited later. Members of the water supply and sewerage disposal ad hoc committee said demands of the union could not be fulfilled. They said there was a dire need of the sewermen and the safai karamcharis in wards. Also, the Mayor along with MLAs had been holding meetings to discuss a strategy on the issue. The Mayor has made an appeal to city residents that till the issue gets resolved, they would have to cooperate with the MC.

“Residents of houses where door-to-door collection is not being done are requested to take waste to dumping zones from where the MC will lift the same,” he said.

The Mayor said every effort would be made to ensure smooth functioning of garbage lifting in the city.

“We are dedicated to resolve the issue in a proper manner for which we need the help of the residents,” he said, adding that the MC did their best to ensure that garbage could not get accumulated in the city.

The standoff between union members and the MC was clear from the fact that several meetings were held in the past three days. President of the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Union Chandan Grewal said he had decided that the work would not be done till the fulfilment of their demands.

Since the Mayor assumed charge, he has not been able to resolve the garbage issue. Two days ago, the Mayor had also released a statement terming the protest call as unreasonable and unlawful, which was condemned by Grewal. — TNS