Patna: Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved two agencies to manage door-to-door garbage collection, waste segregation, transportation and street cleaning. Each will handle three municipal circles and retain around 9,600 sanitation workers currently engaged in these operations.The decision was taken at the 26th meeting of PMC’s empowered standing committee on Saturday. Chaired by mayor Sita Sahu, the meeting approved 84 proposals. Deputy mayor Reshmi Chandravanshi and municipal commissioner Yashpal Meena attended.Sahu said the arrangement would improve accountability and ensure compliance with labour laws. PMC expects to save over Rs 25 crore annually. Permanent sanitation workers will be assigned other duties.Ahead of Chhath, the committee approved a second shift of garbage collection, additional heavy vehicles and 10 extra sanitation workers in each ward. Payments will be linked to biometric attendance.It also approved Rs 68 lakh as a partial contribution towards a livelihood and training centre for the transgender community. PMC will provide 2,000 sqft of land to Dostana Safar, which earlier received 600 sqft behind Mona Cinema for a menstrual cup manufacturing unit.Other approvals included renovation of a pond near Panch Shiv Temple in Ward 34, a community hall in Bigrahpur in Ward 30, and a toilet and septic tank at Mangal Talab library in Ward 64 at a cost of Rs 12.60 lakh. Submersible pumps at pink toilets in Shivpuri, Rajiv Nagar and JP Ganga Path were also approved, along with road, drainage and water supply projects.
