Our Correspondent
Sonepat, May 20
Nearly 2,000 members of various social, religious and business organisations as well as casual sanitation workers on Sunday took nearly six hours to clear the town of the garbage accumulated for the past 12 days due to the strike of the safai karamcharis.
Led by Rajiv Jain, Media Advisor to Chief Minister, and Vinay Singh, Deputy Commissioner, the volunteers equipped with more than two dozen tractor-trailers, tempos and JCB machines started the drive from the Murthal Chowk around 5.30 am.
In the presence of the police, the volunteers lifted garbage and cleaned roads, residential and business localities in different areas of the town.
Shopkeepers and residents not only joined with the volunteers in cleaning, but also offered bananas, water etc to them.
Jain appealed the safai karamcharis to end their strike and return to work. He said that matter related to their demand was pending in the court. He alleged that Opposition parties were trying to take political advantage of the strike, but people would not allow it.
The DC thanked the volunteers for their selfless participation in the cleanliness drive.