The ongoing strike of sanitation workers in Patiala intensified on Monday as the technical staff of the Municipal Corporation (MC) also joined the agitation, severely affecting essential civic services across the city.
Routine works including garbage collection, repair of street lights, water supply and sanitation-related services remained badly hit as around 200 technical staff from the electricity and public health wings stayed off duty in support of the protest.
A total of 883 sanitation workers — including 453 contractual and 430 regular employees — along with nearly 220 sewer workers also remained off duty. The sanitation workers have been on strike for the last 10 days.
The prolonged strike has resulted in piling up of thousands of tonnes of garbage on streets, in markets and residential colonies, leading to heaps of waste accumulating across the city.
The residents in several areas complained of foul smell and unhygienic conditions due to the worsening sanitation crisis.
The Mora Wali Gali, Mathura Colony, Vivek Colony, Purana Bazar, some areas of Jujhar Nagar, Guru Teg Bahadur Colony, the Ragho Majra area, Malwa Colony and Peeli Sadak were the worst hit.
The Municipal Corporation receives around 200 complaints daily related to sewerage, water supply and garbage disposal. However, most complaints remained unresolved on Monday due to the strike.
Meanwhile, the protesting technical staff staged a demonstration outside the Municipal Corporation office and warned the Punjab Government of intensifying their agitation if their demands were not accepted soon.
The protesting employees demanded regularisation of contractual workers, including technical staff, sanitation workers and sewermen. They also sought implementation of a permanent recruitment system and enhancement of wages up to Rs 35,000 per month.
BJP councillor Anuj Khosla demanded from the state government to address to demands of the MC employees. He alleged that despite repeated assurances, the government had failed to address their long-pending demands.
