Process to regularise sanitation workers started, says minister

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 15

Punjab Local Bodies Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar on Friday said the process of regularising the services of sanitation workers and sewer men has been initiated by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in the state, while asserting that appointment letters would be handed over to them in the next few days.

About e-Rehra project

The Rs 9.36-crore e-Rehra project for collecting garbage door to door in all 95 wards of the city was launched by flagging off vehicles. The 350 e-rehras will have wet and dry waste compartments, which would pave the way for segregation of waste. Charging points are being installed zone wise to ensure uninterrupted plying of the vehicles.

Making an announcement outside the MC Zone-A office, where Sewer Men and Safai Karamchari Sangharsh Committee ended its hunger strike after having juice from the hands of the minister, Dr Nijjar said there was an anomaly in the earlier resolution passed by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, which was the main hurdle in regularising their services.

He said directions had already been issued to the MCL to expedite the process of passing a fresh resolution in this regard during the next House meeting following which the state government would complete all formalities.

He also appreciated MLAs Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina, Gurpreet Gogi, Madan Lal Bagga, Ashok Parashar Pappi, Kulwant Singh Sidhu and Hardeep Singh Mundian for their persistent efforts in taking up the issue of safai sewaks and sewer men.

Dr Nijjar said regularisation was the right of sanitation and sewer workers and it would be ensured to them at all costs. He said the AAP government stood rock solid with them, and for that matter, all employees, always, and every required step would be taken for their welfare.

Later, the Local Bodies Minister, along with MLAs, flagged off 10 modernised and advanced fire tenders at the local fire brigade station near the railway station. He said an amount of Rs 6.44 crore had been spent on these hi-tech vehicles to strengthen the firefighting capacity in the city, adding that it would be instrumental in saving precious lives and properties of the people during fire incidents.

Later, Dr Nijjar launched an e-Rehra project of Rs 9.36 crore for collecting garbage door to door in all 95 wards of the city by flagging off the vehicles. He said the 350 e-rehras would have wet and dry waste compartments, which would pave the way for segregation of waste. He said charging points were being installed zone wise to ensure uninterrupted plying of the e-Rehras.

Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik, Commissioner of Police Kaustabh Sharma, MC Commissioner Shena Aggarwal, officials of the civil and police administration were among those others present.

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