Chandigarh, Aug. 14 -- 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.

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 Rs.8 ...