MCD approves regularisation of daily-wage sanitation workers appointed on compassionate grounds: Mayor

NEW DELHI: In a decisive move to bolster worker welfare, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) approved a proposal on Thursday to regularise daily-wage sanitation workers who were appointed on compassionate grounds between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2015. The resolution was adopted during the general house meeting under the chairmanship of Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh.

Mayor Singh said the decision underscores the Corporation’s duty to ensure job security and dignity for the sanitation workforce. “These workers are the backbone of Delhi’s cleanliness and public health systems. Their contribution deserves long-term recognition and protection under regular employment,” he emphasised.

The move will enable hundreds of workers employed under compassionate appointments to be absorbed into the regular workforce, thereby granting them benefits including fixed pay scales, pension entitlements and other service-related rights. A senior MCD official described the step as “an act of honouring their lifelong service”, noting the Corporation will pursue further regularisation in phases.

The regularisation decision follows earlier steps by the MCD in September 2025, when 310 workers received formal regularisation letters. In that ceremony Mayor Singh remarked: “The regularisation … is proof that we acknowledge their hard work and dedication. This is not merely the distribution of regularisation letters, but an act of honouring their lifelong service.”

The house meeting also featured discussion on civic infrastructure, sanitation furtherance and ward-level development. Despite disruptions claimed by some opposition councillors, Mayor Singh declared that governance would remain focused on citizen welfare and service delivery.

Analysts say the move could boost morale among frontline sanitation staff and improve operational efficiency within the civic body. For many daily-wage employees who have long awaited stability and recognition, the announcement offers renewed hope. As the Corporation moves ahead, the regularisation of this cohort is likely to mark a shift towards more inclusive municipal governance in Delhi.