Pune: Residents can expect cleaner roads and a reduction in illegal dumping as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) prepares to increase its road-sweeping workforce by 4,700 personnel. This additional manpower will focus on old city areas and 23 recently merged pockets.The decision, sanctioned by the PMC standing committee, comes in response to frequent citizen complaints regarding neglected streets and mounting roadside garbage. Standing committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said the recruitment is approved for a three-month trial period, with the civic body allocating Rs40 crore for the pilot run. Future deployments will depend on the results achieved during this window.Currently, approximately 8,000 personnel are engaged in road sweeping, but both citizens and corporators argue this is insufficient. A corporator representing the merged areas of Sinhagad Road said they have consistently raised issues regarding staff shortages.“Every time we complain about unclean roads, authorities cite inadequate manpower. We hope the recently sanctioned proposal ensures maximum deployment for the merged areas,” the corporator said.PMC sources said while the administration relies heavily on contractual staff, there are significant concerns regarding irregularities. Complaints often include improper waste handling and inconsistent cleaning schedules, with some residents alleging that thorough cleaning only occurs during visits by ministers or VIPs.Local resident Sandip Tile, from Satara Road, said simply increasing numbers is not enough. He urged the administration to be stricter with errant staffers.“The cleaning staff is often poorly trained. It is common to see workers setting garbage on fire or dumping waste into drains and open plots,” Tile said. “The problem will not be solved by manpower alone; rigorous training and monitoring are crucial.”The move has faced pushback from the Congress unit in the PMC, which claims the decision primarily benefits existing contractors. Ramchandra Kadam, leader of the Congress unit, argued that the administration should have invited fresh tenders instead of extending current contracts.“The current system is flawed. To ensure transparency and efficiency, the PMC should call for new tenders to appoint sweeping contractors,” Kadam said.
