Chandigarh: I can clean the Plaza, if you can’t, a livid Badnore tells officers
After being greeted with garbage strewn all around — in the parking area, pavements and the Plaza area — a livid administrator told the officials accompanying him, “I can clean the Plaza if your are unable to do it.”
In times when the country is talking about cleanliness campaigns, surveys and the like, UT’s top boss — administrator VP Singh Badnore — was in for a shock at the lack of cleanliness in Sector-17 market, the heart of the city. Badnore had paid a surprise visit to the Sector on Friday afternoon to review progress on the project to give a uniform look to Sector-17 buildings. After being greeted with garbage strewn all around — in the parking area, pavements and the Plaza area — a livid administrator told the officials accompanying him, “I can clean the Plaza if your are unable to do it.”
He also sought an explanation from officers, saying that cleanliness needed to be top priority.
Administration sources said that the officers were left without an immediate answer, but later claimed that cleanliness had not been maintained as safai karamcharis were on strike.
SWEEPERS INTENSIFY STIR: GARBAGE PILES UP IN OTHER PARTS OF CITY
Other parts of the city were also in for a stinking start to their day with sweepers escalating their protest on the second day and not allowing garbage vehicles to ply in the city. Union president Shyam Lal Ghavri said while the MC had agreed to most demands, including filling 650 vacant posts and regularising 12 daily wagers, the body was not considering giving jobs to relatives of dead employees, their major demand.
Due to the stir, 500 tonnes of garbage remained uncollected.
The other demands are a stop on privatisation of the sanitation department, the provision of dearness allowance and cancellation of 750-metre area rule, under only one sweeper is assigned in 750-metre area. MC joint commissioner Manoj Khatri said he expected the strike to end on Saturday.