Irked shopkeepers in Panipat protest tardy lifting of garbage

Enraged over poor cleanliness in city markets, members of the Rohtak Road Market Association on Wednesday protested at Mission Chowk.

The protesting traders said the cleanliness system in the city had collapsed and heaps of garbage could be seen everywhere in the city due to tardy lifting.

The MC had allotted a tender of cleanliness to two private agencies -- Pooja Consulation Company and IND Sanitation Solution company-- by dividing the city in two zones at approximately Rs 3.40 crore per month. The tender for cleanliness ended in August last year and no new tender had been allotted so far.

But, the cleanliness in the city is always a big issue and heaps of garbage can be seen in the city at various places.

The sanitation employees working with a private agency were on strike for over 20 days. The sanitation employees alleged that the company had not paid them salaries for three months. It had become very tough for their families.

Even, the sanitation employees locked the MC office gate eight days ago when the new MC Commissioner went to meet them. However, after a meeting with the Commissioner, the MC the sanitation employees rolled back their strike and went back to work.

Bharat Kandera, president, Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh, said we had been assured that salary up to November would be sent to the employees’ account but was not given so far. Now, a general body meeting of the employees was called for Thursday and a decision would be taken at the meeting, he added.

Thehopkeepers on Wednesday protested against the poor cleanliness. Sanjay Singla, president, Vyapar Mandal along with Ram Narayan Goya, president, Rohtak Road market association, Navin Garg, president, Kiryana Association, Lalit Goyal, Umesh Goyal, Rakesh Jain, Devender Rohilla, Raju Jai, Pawan, Ashu Mangla and others raised slogans against those responsible for poor sanitation.

Singla further said sanitation in Sonepat had collapsed and even after the strike of sanitation employees, the situation in the city did not changed. He further said the city roads were cleaned only on January 25 due to Republic Day, especially those roads from where the chief guest had to pass.

Singla said the heaps of garbage could be seen everywhere in the city. The MC should clean the city on priority, Singla demanded.