Punjab local government minister Harjot Singh Bains on Tuesday ordered the issuance of a show-cause notice to Moga municipal commissioner Gurwinder Singh Chahal following an early morning surprise inspection that exposed poor cleanliness standards across the city.
During his on-ground assessment, Bains interacted with local residents and spotted several open garbage points, directly flouting the sanitation benchmarks set under the state government’s Mission Clean Punjab initiative.
Stating that there is zero tolerance for such negligence, the minister said that the people of Punjab deserve better and that erring officials will be held accountable. He described the action in Moga as a precedent, asserting that cleanliness remains non-negotiable and that the government will continue to inspect, enforce, and deliver until every city meets the highest sanitation standards.
When contacted regarding the minister’s findings, Chahal declined comment.
Bains, who is personally monitoring the tech-driven sanitation drive launched earlier this month, noted that the initiative mandates daily field visits for all civic officials—from municipal commissioners to executive officers—between 7am and 8am. Under this framework, every city is divided into 10-km zones with a dedicated supervisory officer assigned to each to ensure direct accountability.
Reiterating his stance, Bains warned that surprise inspections will continue across Punjab’s cities, adding that while negligent officials will face consequences, the frontline sanitation workers remain key stakeholders in the state’s urban development.
