Barnala, Punjab – Barnala, Punjab, on July 22, 2026, when sanitation workers clashed with police during a municipal garbage clearance operation. The drive was launched by the Barnala Municipal Corporation in compliance with Punjab and Haryana High Court directions to clear accumulated waste during the monsoon season and prevent the spread of diseases.
Sanitation workers, who have been on strike since early May (with the agitation resuming on July 8), tried to stop the municipal teams from lifting garbage. Protesters, including many women, gathered in large numbers near SD College and Handiaya Bazaar. The situation quickly turned confrontational. According to reports, workers allegedly obstructed the operation, hurled stones and garbage bags at the police. In response, the police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Several sanitation workers were injured in the action, and one woman protester sustained serious injuries and was seen bleeding.
The striking workers, organised under the Municipal Mulazam Action Committee and Safai Sewak Union, have been demanding regularisation of contractual employees, higher wages, and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. They oppose a 2023 state policy that requires 10 years of service before contractual staff can be regularised and claim the government has failed to honour earlier assurances given in May. Union leaders, including Gulshan Kumar and Bindu Rani, have said the strike will continue until all demands are met and have warned of political consequences for the AAP government in the 2027 Assembly elections.
Officials defended the police action, stating that force was used only after efforts to persuade the protesters failed and that their primary responsibility was to maintain law and order while complying with the High Court’s orders. Barnala Mayor Hasanpreet Bhardwaj said many of the workers’ demands had already been accepted, while some issues remain pending in court. He appealed to the striking workers to cooperate in the larger public interest, especially during the rainy season.
Following the incident, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) took suo motu cognisance of the alleged police action and sought a detailed report from the Punjab government within seven days. The Commission has called for an impartial inquiry, protection of the workers’ rights and dignity, and constructive dialogue to resolve the long-pending issues