Councillor seeks rollback of MC order denying compassionate jobs to kin of temporary staff

Ludhiana

Raising concern over the plight of families of deceased municipal workers, a councillor has urged the municipal corporation (MC) Ludhiana to withdraw its recent order that denies compassionate appointment to heirs of employees working on deputy commissioner (DC) rates, contract, outsource and temporary basis.

In a representation submitted to the MC commissioner, Ward No 26 councillor Gaurav Bhatti termed order no. 674- office memorandum dated December 5, 2025, as “anti-employee” and said it has caused distress among hundreds of workers and their families.

The councillor pointed out that a large number of employees in the civic body are not regularised. Around 800 sanitation workers and sewer men, besides over 450 gardeners and drivers, are working on DC rates, while many others are employed on temporary and outsourced contracts. He said these workers have been serving the civic body for years despite low wages and lack of job security.

Highlighting the human impact of the decision, Bhatti cited the case of Mukesh, a sanitation worker from his ward who died four years ago. His son Aman has been pursuing a job on compassionate grounds since then, but the process remains pending. The family, he said, is facing financial hardship, with the deceased worker’s wife working in households to make ends meet.

He added that several families had been given jobs on compassionate grounds in the past, but the new order has abruptly stopped such relief, leaving many cases in uncertainty.

The councillor urged the authorities to revoke the order and restore the earlier system of providing jobs to eligible family members of deceased employees. He said such support is essential to ensure social justice and humanitarian relief, especially for economically weaker families.

Bhatti also warned that if the order is not reconsidered, affected families and public representatives may be forced to launch a protest at the MC office.