Stink gets to senior deputy mayor’s doorstep

The incident occurred in the morning when a group of garbage collectors brought rehris full of garbage to Garg’s residence at Palsora. Raising slogans,the group dumped the garbage in front of his house and shop. Garg called the police control room. However,every time he called,the call was connected to Mohali PCR. He finally managed to contact the incharge of the police chowki in the area after which police reached the spot.

Recently,the garbage collectors,who have been sitting on strike outside the MC office,had agreed to end the protest after a discussion with the members of the Finance and Contract Committee. However,the next day they went back on their word and continued the protest. The venue changed to Garbage Processing Plant where these collectors are not allowing the trolleys to enter.

The result is that heaps of garbage are lying in different sectors. The residents are complaining about the overflowing garbage bins.

One of the dilemmas being faced by the Municipal Corporation is that the garbage collectors who are holding the civic body to ransom are not employees of MC. Around 5,000 people are privately involved with the job of garbage collection in the city. Protests started when the MC decided to start a pilot project for garbage collection in Sector 22 after directions of the High Court. Under the system,the garbage collected is to be taken directly to the garbage processing plant instead of taking it to Sehaj Safai Kendras by a contractor hired for the purpose.

With the residents of the area expressing satisfaction with the project and the MC wanting to replicate it in other sectors,the protests have been going on for almost a week.

J S Uppal,the president of Resident Welfare Association,Sector 22 C,says,“The pilot project is functioning quite well. The sector is cleaner as the garbage is not kept anywhere in the area and taken directly to the processing plant. The trolleys also come on time.”

While the civic body has given the option to the collectors that they could be hired by contractors where the pilot project is implemented,the collectors claim that the amount of money they would receive would be less.

The involvement of political parties is adding fuel to fire. The issue seems to be so contentious that even in the meeting of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Association,Chandigarh,no consensus could be reached. FOSWAC chairman P C Sanghi said the members were divided over what would be the best method of collection. While some appeared in favour of implementation of the pilot project in all sectors,the others opposed the suggestion.

A senior MC official said the garbage collectors had been told that they would be given first preference during hiring of staff by the contractors. Another option being mulled is that the collectors be allowed to collect the garbage from residences and deposit it in the trolleys deployed by the Municipal Corporation in order to save their source of livelihood.