Pune: Contract PMC Sweepers Forced to Work as Domestic Help at Politicians’ Homes
Pune, 14th June 2025: Contract workers hired by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for street sweeping duties are reportedly being diverted to serve as domestic help at the residences of local politicians and officials. These workers, employed under the civic body’s contract system, are allegedly performing a range of non-official duties such as cooking, grocery shopping, gardening, and other household chores for political leaders, sources have revealed.
According to internal estimates, between 200 to 250 contract workers are currently assigned to private residences rather than their designated cleaning duties. Of the 10,220 sanitation workers officially on the PMC’s payroll, only 5,406 are reportedly engaged in actual street cleaning, while the remaining 4,432 have been reassigned to unrelated tasks.
Several PMC insiders claim that workers who refuse to comply with such personal service requests face termination without warning. One such case has come to light from the Dhole Patil area office, where a worker lost his job after declining to work at a former corporator’s home. Despite multiple attempts, the worker has not been reinstated.
‘Invisible’ Workers, Full Salaries
Shockingly, salaries of these misallocated workers continue to be disbursed as if they are performing municipal cleaning tasks. “The salaries are processed regularly, and official records falsely show them as active street sweepers,” an official told Sakal on condition of anonymity.
The practice has reportedly become so widespread that officials in various departments now compete to employ contract workers as personal domestic help. In several cases, political figures have kept as many as 5 to 15 contract employees on their personal payrolls, though their salaries are still drawn from PMC funds.
“There is tacit approval across the board. The system is complicit,” said a PMC staffer. “Assistant commissioners and zonal officers are aware but choose to look the other way due to political pressure.”
Impact on Civic Hygiene
The misappropriation of sanitation staff has led to visible deterioration in the city’s cleanliness. Insiders say that the shortage of active sweepers has affected daily cleaning operations, with several areas left unattended. Some of these contract workers have also been diverted to departments such as sewage management, encroachment control, and sky sign enforcement—further diluting the effectiveness of the core sanitation workforce.
The situation is exacerbated by health inspectors and mukadams allegedly demanding bribes for job security and favourable assignments. Critics argue that the misuse of workers and the administrative silence around it are symptoms of deep-rooted political favouritism and systemic exploitation.
Call for Transparency and Accountability
Civil society groups and labour rights activists have condemned the alleged exploitation and called for a detailed inquiry. “This is not just a labour rights issue but also a question of public service integrity and transparency,” said one activist.
Despite repeated requests, PMC officials have declined to comment on the matter.
