Workers protest against meagre salaries under CM Maryam’s Suthra Punjab program

Workers employed under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s Suthra Punjab program staged a protest after receiving meagre salaries, stating that they are unable to sustain their families, especially during Ramadan.

Several videos of the protest circulated online, showing workers throwing cleaning equipment onto the roads in frustration. They claimed to have received only Rs 2,600 or Rs 1,200 after working tirelessly day and night for an entire month to clean the province’s streets.

The protesters asserted that such low wages 'are unacceptable,' as they are unable to provide for their families.

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Under the Punjab government's Suthra Punjab scheme, a waste management initiative was established through private companies to collect and dispose of garbage from urban and rural areas on a door-to-door basis.

The scheme led to the procurement of new machinery and a significant increase in the workforce.

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Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the Suthra Punjab scheme in December 2024, claiming that the largest sanitation system in the province’s history had been launched across all districts and tehsils.

She stated that cleanliness would be ensured in every city and village in collaboration with private companies. To support the initiative, machinery worth billions of rupees had been purchased, and 100,000 people were being employed.