Now, Chandigarh MC terminates services of 33 employees hired during Covid

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

In a fresh rationalisation of manpower, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has terminated the services of 33 employees who were hired during the Covid-19 pandemic for contact tracing and home quarantine duties. This decision follows a sharp increase in expenses related to outsourced manpower. (HT photo for representation)
Back in March 2020, following orders from the Chandigarh administration, the MC had set up a dedicated 'contact tracing and home quarantine cell' to manage pandemic-related responsibilities. The staff—comprising data entry operators, helpers, and multi-task workers—were paid through the 'Special Grant under Covid-19' fund.
With their contractual term ending on July 31 this year, MC officials have decided against extending their services. 'The monthly expenditure on these 33 employees was around ₹8 lakh. After the UT administration declared the end of Covid-19, we could no longer use funds from the Covid grant, even though ₹18 crore remains reserved under it. Given the fiscal crisis in MC, we decided not to renew their contracts,' officials said.
In the recent general house meeting of the Chandigarh MC, an agenda was approved to clear the pending salaries of these employees, which remained unpaid since February 2025. The city councillors said that even though the agenda was approved by the House, the decision of termination by the MC officials is in disagreement with the House.
It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time that the MC is resorting to downsizing as a fiscal strategy. In December 2024, nearly 200 contractual employees, aged 60 and above, were let go in a bid to rationalise manpower and trim costs. This year, the civic body terminated nine sanitary inspectors; 90 outsourced staff members from the fire and rescue services department—including 47 firemen, 16 drivers, three data entry operators, and several others in support roles, and 332 outsourced multi-task workers employed at tubewells across the city.
This decision follows a sharp increase in expenses related to outsourced manpower and aligns with Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria's directive for MC officials and councillors to focus on improving revenue generation by rationalising manpower. Official figures presented at the General House meeting on November 23 revealed that the corporation's total staff strength increased from 8,587 employees in 2023-24 to 9,748 employees in 2024-25. This data indicated the hiring of 1,161 employees (mostly on a contractual basis) in just seven months, a revelation that surprised councillors from all parties. Former mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor questioned, 'Who are these employees and where are they working?'
It is pertinent to mention that the manpower audit, to be conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, over six months' time, is also expected to start soon to examine staffing patterns, identify fake employees, and flag salary irregularities.