Cleanliness of 13 Chandigarh villages may go into private player’s hands
Around 50,000 people reside in the 13 villages – Behlana, Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra, Daria, Mauli Jagran, Kishangarh, Kaimbwala, Khuda Ali Sher, Khuda Jassu, Khuda Lahora, Sarangpur and Dhanas
Four years after 13 villages were placed within the purview of the Chandigarh municipal corporation, the civic body is planning to rope in a private firm for carrying out their cleanliness work.
Around 50,000 people reside in the villages – Behlana, Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra, Daria, Mauli Jagran, Kishangarh, Kaimbwala, Khuda Ali Sher, Khuda Jassu, Khuda Lahora, Sarangpur and Dhanas – that had merged with the civic body in December 2018, bringing the panchayat system in Chandigarh to an end.
Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “A proposal has been prepared and it will be placed before the MC House in the coming meeting. The House will take a final call.”
“At present, we have 502 regular employees and by 2028 all these staffers will retire. As per central government rules, we cannot recruit regular staffers. Instead of outsourcing people, we are planning to outsource the work,” she added.
“At present, sanitation work in southern sectors is being carried out by a private firm at the cost of ₹4.7 crore per month through mechanised sweeping,” she said.
BJP councillor Bimal Dubey, who represents Daria village, said handing the cleanliness work to a private firm was a welcome move as there was an acute shortage of regular MC employees, which was affecting sanitation at villages.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor and leader of opposition Yogesh Dhingra said, “The final decision will be taken in the House and in case, it is outsourced, the officers concerned should make sure, that the quality of work is not compromised. The work done by the firm tasked with cleaning southern sectors is unsatisfactory.”
