SDMC to sack absentee sanitation workers

South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has directed the officials to serve urgent notice to those sanitation workers who have been absent for a long time and inform them that they will be sacked if they do not resume duty immediately.

South Delhi Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat held a high-level meeting with the Corporation officials to decide the action to be taken against absentee workers.

"We need more ground level workers who are committed to their work. I have asked (officials) to serve the absentees notice, and if they do not join immediately then we will sack them," said Sehrawat.

During the meeting on Sunday, the issue of unauthorised absence of a large number of sanitation workers was the prominent topic of discussion.

It was brought to the Mayor's notice that these absentee sanitation workers of different zones neither reported back for their duties after expiry of the sanctioned leave period, nor gave any further information about their whereabouts.

"We will start a process of taking in new people. At the end of the month, I will review the reports and direct accordingly," Sehrawat said.

She further described the prevailing situation as a glaring lapse on the part of the officers in charge and told them in certain terms to get rid of such employees at the earliest.

Such employees, she said, were not only causing substantial loss to the exchequer but also failing in doing one of major obligatory responsibilities of of the local body, i.e. to keep the city clean. The department informed her that the administrative process will follow soon.

As per available information, the number of absentee sanitation workers is around 400 and their absence is affecting the overall sanitation work of cleaning and upkeep of parks, lanes, roads and other common places.