Muzaffarpur, July 14: The civic body today suspended seven leaders of Nagar Nigam Kamgar Union (NNKU), including its president Ashok Rai, spearheading the 24-day-long strike of the corporation employees.

Rai has also been arrested on the charge of assaulting the workers of Nidan, a private agency involved in removing garbage from the city. He has been sent to Khudiram Bose Memorial Central Jail.

The municipal commissioner, Arun Kumar Singh, decided to suspend the union leaders following a meeting with district magistrate Santosh Kumar Mall. Besides Rai, the suspended employees include the secretary of NNKU, Rameshwar Rai. The others put under suspension are Durgasharan Sharma, Mithlesh Prasad, Kusheshwar Ram, Chanda Devi and Mirdula Kumari.

Singh said: “The corporation is also investigating the role of the employees of Jal Karyakarmi Sangh, whose absence from work has disrupted water supply in several pockets of the city. The employees of the sangh can also face suspension in a day or two.”

The commissioner also removed 150 additional labourers on the order of the district magistrate. They were allegedly appointed on the insistence of the mayor and the deputy mayor.

Besides asking the commissioner to act sternly with the agitating employees, Singh today asked him to speed up the civic work.

Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation has started taking steps to counter the effects of the strike, which has thrown civic amenities out of gear. The corporation has divided the city into three sectors for an effective disposal of garbage and removal of filth.

Three executive magistrates, accompanied with armed police party, are patrolling in their respective areas for providing protection to the personnel of Nidan. The jurisdiction of the executive magistrates has been divided and they have been requested to monitor the garbage removal work.

Mall said: “I have asked the project director of Nidan, Arvind Kumar Singh, to increase manpower and improve infrastructure to remove garbage from all the 49 wards of the corporation.”

The shop owners in Islampur and Dharamshala Chowk downed their shutters and blocked the road to protest against the flooding of drains and accumulation of the overflowing water on roads. They shouted slogans against the municipal corporation, blaming it for the present situation.

The commissioner, who rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation, had to face the ire of the people. They held him captive for two hours. Later, police reached the spot and rescued Singh. The cops brought the situation under control.