Major boost to civic services: City to get 1,196 safai sewaks

A long pending demand of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation got fulfilled on Saturday as the Local Bodies Department approved the appointment of 1,196 safai sewaks (sanitation staff) to strengthen the city's cleanliness system.

Despite Jalandhar's expanding boundaries and rapidly increasing population, the Municipal Corporation had long been operating under severe manpower shortage, placing immense pressure on sanitation and sewerage operations. Several councillors were forced to appoint safai workers at their personal expenses to ensure cleanliness in their respective wards. But with this approval, the MC will finally have its own adequate staff to manage civic issues more efficiently and systematically.

Nitin Kohli, Jalandhar Central Halqa Incharge, is learnt to have played the major role in pushing this approval forward. He prioritised the matter, held several meetings in Chandigarh, and ensured continuous follow-up. He was supported by Mayor Vaneet Dhir, Chairman of Safai Union Punjab Chandan Grewal, and Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Rishi, who contributed to completing key documentation and administrative formalities. Following these coordinated efforts, Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh issued the official approval.

The Mayor said the decision is extremely significant for Jalandhar, as the MC is finally receiving resources it has urgently needed for decades. He emphasised that Kohli's relentless follow-up were central to securing this long-awaited approval. He added that the impact of this development will soon be visible across the city's streets, markets and wards.

Meanwhile, Kohli has recently got approved development projects worth nearly Rs 40 crore. Of these, works worth Rs 20 crore have already begun on the ground, projects worth Rs 10.76 crore were already in progress, and new projects worth Rs 10.96 crore are currently under the tender process.

These include road repair and reconstruction work worth Rs 12 crore on Moti Bagh main road, ADJ Road, Basant Hill Extension, Ladhewali Firni, Chhajja Singh Gate, Gulmarg Avenue (Ward 6), Kot Ramdas, Central Town, Ranjit Nagar, New Jawahar Nagar, PUDA Market, reconstruction from Shri Ram Chowk to Jail Chowk, and new road works in Sitaram Mandi. Drainage and sewerage system overhaul worth Rs 3.5 crore is also underway in Ladhewali, New Jawahar Nagar and Central Town. Parks are being spruced up with additional works of Rs 5 crore. Interlocking tiles, footpaths and pathways are being laid for Rs 2.5 crore in Jagjit Nagar, Dhilwan, the DAC Complex to PUDA Market, Dakoha village, and Malhri Chowk to Nangal Shama Link Road.