Gurgaon: Residents of Sector 9A have raised the issue of an irregular sanitation workforce for nearly two months despite orders for the deployment of more staff.The issue surfaced after the private sanitation contract in the sector ended in July. The residents’ association had sought deployment of municipal-roll workers and was subsequently assured that MCG staff would be provided. However, the regular workforce has not been deployed so far.“On Aug 4, we were told that the corporation would provide its own workers and asked us to wait for a couple of days. We waited for nearly one-and-a-half months. Even after the sanitation workers’ strike ended, no regular staff was deployed,” said Lalit Suraj Bhola, RWA general secretary, Sector 9A.MCG subsequently issued orders for deployment of workers, but the manpower identified for the sector was not released, residents said. Instead, sanitation teams have been making short visits, sweeping a few lanes and leaving. With no fixed deployment, residents said some stretches go without sweeping for weeks.“Even the waste swept from the roads is not lifted because a tractor is not available,” Bhola said.Residents have also raised questions over supervision, particularly the monitoring of attendance and the actual work being carried out on the ground. The RWA said it had approached officials at various levels, but the issue remained unresolved.“Two months without regular sweeping is not a minor service lapse. There needs to be proper supervision and accountability for the sanitation work being carried out in the sector,” said Vinod Arora, RWA president, Sector 9A, adding that they are ready to take over sanitation in the sector at 25% less than what MCG pays its private contractor for the same work if the civic body is facing a manpower shortage.Meanwhile, MCG joint commissioner Naresh Kumar could not be reached for comment.
