The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has given contracts to 22 private agencies to appoint 720 ‘clean-up marshals’ in the 24 wards of the city, with powers to impose fines of up to Rs 1,000 for littering, spitting and urinating/defecating at 778 public places.
The corporation has stipulated a minimum educational qualification of 10th standard for marshals. The standing committee sanctioned the contracts on Wednesday.
The service that was launched in August 2007, was discontinued in June 2014, in the wake of complaints of extortion and rampant corruption by the marshals. A senior civic official, who wished not to be named, told The Hindu , “There are also provisions for imposing fines of up to Rs 20,000. However, the marshals will not be authorised to collect the amount.”
