Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation has decided to penalise the agency entrusted with clearing trash if it is found wanting in its duty.

The corporation issued letters in this connection on Wednesday. Under the directive effective from the same day, the corporation would impose a maximum fine of Rs 1 lakh a month on Nidan if garbage is found heaped on roads or drain water overflows. The residents welcomed the decision.

Nidan has been carting garbage from 18 of the corporation’s 49 wards for around one-and-a-half years.

Municipal commissioner Amarnath Mishra told The Telegraph on Thursday: “Residents find it difficult to commute on roads and lanes filled with garbage and flooded with drain water. Tax-paying residents and councillors can lodge complaints with the complaint cell of the civic body. Circle inspectors and ward members concerned would duly examine the complaints. If they are found true, the corporation would impose fine of maximum Rs 1 lakh a month.”

The municipal corporation authorities started informing the residents of the town about the introduction of the penalty through public announcements from Wednesday, following which a slew of complaints were received at the corporation headquarters.

The residents of Bank Road, Saraiyaganj and Jawaharlal Road on Wednesday lodged complaints to the corporation secretary, Manoj Kumar, about garbage not being carted away from their respective areas.

“Necessary verification is being conducted to fix responsibility for the non-clearance of garbage and impose fine,” said Kumar.

The corporation secretary said he had decided to take a round of the city twice a day to undertake inspection of the sites.

He added that the corporation had informed the residents to lodge complaints about cases of carelessness on the part of Nidan directly with him. “This will help in improving the work culture,” said Kumar.

The corporation secretary said he had requested the officials of Nidan to increase the manpower and resources of the company to meet the task. The circle inspector has been asked to furnish reports about the cleanliness drive and garbage lifting by Nidan twice a day.

Nidan has inducted several civic personnel and bought requisite equipment apart from chalking out a strategic plan to cart garbage properly in the town.

The firm has been given additional responsibility of clearing garbage from areas falling under ward numbers 13, 14 and 45 of the corporation on Wednesday.

The resident project manager of Nidan, Manish Kumar, said: “I have reviewed and upgraded the system to keep the city clean. We have left nothing to chance in view of the penalty threat from the corporation.”