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Strike cripples Mohali, Mayor seeks explanation from Commissioner
The Mayor stated that although a resolution had earlier been passed to outsource door-to-door waste collection to a private contractor, the project was initiated without consulting elected representatives or taking sanitation workers into confidence.
A row over Mohali’s door-to-door waste collection project has disrupted sanitation, prompting Mayor Amarjeet Singh Sidhu to seek an urgent report on garbage buildup. (File)
A controversy surrounding the launch of the door-to-door waste collection project has severely disrupted Mohali’s sanitation system, leaving garbage piled up across several areas of the city. Taking note of the situation, Mohali Mayor Amarjeet Singh Sidhu held an urgent meeting with Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh Sandhu, seeking a detailed report on the deteriorating civic conditions.
The Mayor stated that although a resolution had earlier been passed to outsource door-to-door waste collection to a private contractor, the project was initiated without consulting elected representatives or taking sanitation workers into confidence. He claimed that a programme was organised by the Commissioner a day earlier, inviting the MLA, while neither the Mayor nor his team was informed in advance.
Criticising the move, Mayor said, “Had there been prior dialogue, not only could the protest have been avoided, but sanitation services would not have come to a halt.”
He also accused MLA Kulwant Singh of attempting to take credit for the project while ignoring local representatives and sanitation workers, which, he said, resulted in chaos across the city.
“For the past three days, sanitation workers and door-to-door collection staff have been on strike. Garbage heaps are visible everywhere, and city residents are suffering due to this unilateral decision,” the Mayor added.
Taking a dig, he remarked, “Those who used to lecture me now stand exposed. Their way of functioning is clear to the entire city, the Mohali constituency, and even Punjab.”
Commissioner assures resolution; strike temporarily suspended
The Mayor said that the Commissioner has held talks with representatives of sanitation workers, listened to their demands, and assured them of a resolution. It was also conveyed that the door-to-door collection tender will not be implemented until the issues are resolved.
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Meanwhile, the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation announced that the ongoing sanitation workers’ strike has been suspended for 15 days following assurances from the Municipal Corporation Commissioner. Federation leaders Mohan Singh and Pawan Goyal warned,
“If the agreed demands are not implemented, the strike will resume,” while also referring to the death of a sanitation worker during recent protests.
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