Punjab government regularises and raises pay for contractual sanitation workers

The Punjab government announced that contractual sanitation workers who have completed five years of service will be regularised, and those with three years of continuous service will be shifted from outsourcing to direct contracts. The move, disclosed by State Minister Harjot Singh Bains, includes an immediate salary increase to roughly Rs 20,500‑20,520 per month, up from Rs 10,500, with the revised pay taking effect on August 1.

The salary hike and regularisation were announced after protests by sanitation workers in Barnala. The strike was called off following the government's response. Police Deputy Superintendent Satbir Singh Bains was suspended, and a Special Investigation Team was formed to probe the incident. The measures come as the state prepares for elections next year and aim to improve welfare for the Safai Sevaks serving municipalities across Punjab.