Mohali: The Safai Mazdoor Union of the local municipal council has asked the authorities concerned to call back all those safai sewaks who are allegedly working unauthorisedly in the offices and houses of various government officials.
The union leaders pointed out that the work of the council was being adversely affected because of shortage of staff. The civic body was taking care of sanitation work in a part of the industrial area, while in the rest of the town sanitation, work has been given on contract.
Jagbir Singh, president of the union, said there were a total of 140 safai sewaks on the rolls of the civic body out of which, 60 were allegedly working at the offices and residences of senior government officials and even at the residences of council officials.
He demanded that if it was not possible to call back all such safai sewaks, more employees should be recruited to fill the gap.
The union leaders have given a list of the safai sewaks working unauthorisedly at other places to executive officer of the council J.S. Thind. Giving details, they said five persons were working at the office of the deputy commissioner and two at his residence.
One person was made to work at the office of the SSP, while another was working at the residence of a senior official of the vigilance department. As many as nine safai sewaks were working in the office of the director, local government, Punjab. Safai sewaks of the council were also working on the court premises, the office of the vigilance department in Phase VII and the residence of a former SDM.
Some safai sewaks were being asked to do the work of drivers, while eight were working at the office of the municipal council in Sector 68. Union leaders said safai sewaks should not be made to work at the office of the civic body, but only in the areas assigned to them.
When contacted, Thind, said all these employees had been working at other places before he had joined here.
MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu demanded that all safai sewaks working unauthorisedly at other places should be called back as the work of sanitation in the town was being adversely affected. He said he would discuss the matter at the next meeting of the civic body.
Source: TNS