People in four wards can expect a better garbage collection system from next week.

Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to start door-to-door garbage collection in the four wards on its own.

The wards to be benefited by this move are ward No. 66, which falls under Patna City circle; ward No. 42, which falls under Kankerbagh circle; ward No. 3, which falls under New Capital circle and ward No. 41, which falls under Bankipore circle.

A decision to this effect was taken in the PMC standing committee meeting, which was chaired by mayor Afzal Imam and attended by PMC commissioner Jai Singh among others.

"As per Tuesday's decision, the PMC would start door-to-door garbage collection in the four wards on experimental basis. For rest of the wards, tenders would be floated and agencies would be selected to take up the work," said Imam after emerging from the standing committee meeting.

Residents, otherwise hassled with stinking garbage, hailed the PMC's decision.

"It is good that the PMC is finally considering taking up door-to-door garbage collection work in various wards seriously," said Sandeep Kumar, a resident of ward No. 4.

About other decisions taken in the standing committee's meeting, Alam said: "It was also decided that five sanitation workers would be engaged in every ward in addition to the existing sanitation workers. A decision regarding floating the tender of three circles - Bankipore, Patna City and Kankerbagh - together was also taken. The tender for New Capital circle would be floated separately. The decision to float the tender for three circles together was taken with an aim to ease the tender process."

Imam added that decision regarding the purchase of 16 fogging machines was also taken in Tuesday's meeting.

"The corporation will purchase 16 vehicle-mounted fumigation machines. The PMC has no dearth of funds. Most of the existing fogging machines are not working properly. So the decision of buying new fogging machines was taken," said Alam.

According to the PMC sources, only six are functional of 60 hand-held machines. Of four vehicle-mounted machines, only two are functional.

It was also decided in the standing committee's meeting that the PMC employees on contract would also get the benefits of provident fund scheme like the regular employees.