DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
jammu, Nov 25
Senior Congress leader and DDC Suchetgarh, Taranjit Singh Tony strongly opposed the proposed privatization of 23 wards falling under the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), calling it a blatant move to jeopardize the rights of Civic Safaikaramcharis. He accused the JMC of becoming a “den of corruption,” where mismanagement and exploitation thrive unchecked.
Tony expressed solidarity with the protesting Civic Safaikaramcharis, who have raised legitimate concerns over the outsourcing of sanitation and cleanliness works in one of the three Municipal zones of Jammu city to some private company. He said that outsourcing will badly affect the jobs of Safaikaramcharis. He informed that if the outsourcing was allowed then the company involved will engage its own people in cleanliness and sanitation works of the city and the garbage collection vehicles will also be supplied by the company. “Privatization is not the solution; it’s a ploy to hand over public resources to private players at the expense of hardworking employees,” he said and warned that privatization would exacerbate job insecurity, disrupt workers’ livelihoods, and deteriorate service quality due to the profit-centric approach of private firms.
Tony criticized the contractual hiring system within JMC, calling it a tool for exploitation where middlemen and contractors pocket the lion’s share, leaving workers struggling to make ends meet. “The workers are the backbone of our civic system, yet they are treated unfairly and ignored,” he stated.
Calling privatization a betrayal of public trust, Tony urged the government to overhaul JMC’s functioning and make it transparent and accountable. He assured the protesting Safaikaramcharis of his unwavering support and vowed to fight against any move that undermines their rights and dignity.
“Privatization will only deepen the crisis in JMC, which already reeks of corruption. The government must step in to resolve these issues and protect the interests of workers and citizens alike,” he concluded.
