Cadres of DYFI and SFI staging a protest at the entrance of Madurai District Collectorate on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: R. ASHOK
Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) here on Wednesday laid siege to Madurai District Collector’s office premises, alleging a multi-crore sanitation and wage scam by a private waste management contractor.
The protesters raised severe allegations against the private contracting firm currently entrusted with solid waste management operations under Madurai City Corporation.
According to the protesters, the private firm has been operating in gross violation of its official agreements.
Veldeva of DYFI, levelled serious charges of corruption, claiming that the company has been deliberately weighing heavy stones, soil, and debris alongside regular municipal waste to falsely inflate the tonnage of garbage collected—thereby siphoning off public funds.
Further, they alleged widespread irregularities in the disbursement of wages to the city’s sanitation workers. They claimed that their hard-earned pay was unlawfully deducted or mismanaged.
Holding high banners and raising slogans against corporate exploitation and administrative apathy, the crowd marched in a procession toward the District Collectorate.
The situation escalated rapidly when the protestors attempted to breach the gates and storm into the Collector’s office compound. Heavy police contingents deployed at the venue barricaded the entrance and physically restrained the marchers.
This led to a heated altercation and a physical scuffle between the agitators and police personnel.
Published – June 10, 2026 07:28 pm IST
