Chandigarh, June 28 -- The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) is setting the stage for significantly improved sanitation in the city's southern sectors. A major overhaul of its GIS-based mechanised and manual sweeping operations is on the horizon, as the civic body prepares to bring in a new private agency. This revamped contract will mandate the cleaning of previously neglected vacant areas along roads and is projected to bring a significant cut in monthly expenditure. The draft tender and revised terms for this crucial project are scheduled for discussion at the MC's upcoming General House meeting on Monday, June 30, after which new tenders will be invited. The new sanitation contract will cast a wider net, encompassing roads, pavements, and other public areas across Sectors 31 to 56, 61, and 63, with the exception of Behlana village. Currently, M/s Lion Services Ltd holds the reins for sweeping in these areas under a three-year contract that began in April 2022. While their agreement allowed for a two-year extension, the firm has expressed its unwillingness to continue beyond its current term, which officially concluded on March 31, 2025. Due to delays in finalising the new tender terms, the House had previously granted a three-month extension to the firm, lasting until June 30. Now, with the deadline looming and new tenders still in the pipeline, the MC is proposing yet another three-month extension for the current firm, alongside seeking approval for the new tender document. Under the existing model, sweeping in Chandigarh's southern sectors is carried out on all categories of roads using a mix of manual and mechanised means. V-6 roads (access roads to residences) are cleaned manually, while V-3 (sector-dividing roads), V-4 (market roads), and V-5 (sector circulation roads) are cleaned using machines. The upcoming contract aims to tighten monitoring and widen the scope of responsibilities for the new agency. According to senior MC officials, the revised tender document includes several strengthened clauses to ensure comprehensive sanitation. A senior MC official shared, "As per the new tender clause, the firm will now be mandatorily required to clean administrative or vacant areas along roads, which often become informal dumping grounds. Litter picking has been made compulsory in those areas." The civic body is also pushing for a manpower and equipment upgrade. While the current operator deploys 835 sanitation workers and two mechanised machines, the new proposal mandates a minimum of 891 full-time workers and three sweeping machines, working at least eight hours daily. To curb malpractices seen during the current firm's tenure-such as assigning bush-cutting work to regular sanitation staff to claim dual payments-the MC now proposes to engage 30 dedicated bush cutters. This arrangement ensures that each sector will have at least one staffer exclusively for bush-trimming duties. Interestingly, the MC has estimated that despite stricter norms and expanded responsibilities, the new agency can deliver the services at a lower cost. The projected monthly bill is Rs.4.2 crore, a significant cut from Lion Services Ltd's current monthly invoice of Rs.5 crore....