Gurgaon: Urban local bodies (ULB) department has approved an extension till March for six private agencies engaged in manual road sweeping in the city, clearing the way for the resumption of sanitation services that were disrupted due to delayed payments.The extension, approved at a cost of Rs 127 crore to be paid to the contractors hired by the MCG, covers the period from Sept 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, officials said.MCG officials said sanitation services were affected after payments to the agencies were withheld in the absence of ULB clearance, leading to workers staying away from duty. With the approval now in place, payments will be released and operations are expected to normalise.The six agencies were originally hired in Sept 2023 for a two-year contract to carry out manual road sweeping. “We have received the approval for the extension and forwarded it to the engineers to proceed further,” said MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya.The delay in approval had led to mounting public complaints and raised concerns over administrative bottlenecks affecting essential civic services.In Dec last year, MCG submitted a Rs 470-crore proposal to the ULB department for integrated manual and mechanised road sweeping across the city. Under the proposal, the estimated expenditure is Rs 145.5 crore for zone 1, Rs 64.2 crore for zone 2, Rs 81.8 crore for zone 3, and Rs 179.4 crore for zone 4.The proposed scope of work includes special cleaning arrangements for tourist and high-footfall areas, with provisions for multiple cleanings, night sweeping where required, and additional manpower during weekends and national holidays. Officials said this proposal, once approved, will replace the extended contracts.
