UP: Crackdown intensifies over alleged illegal stay of Bangladeshis, Rohingyas; ATS seeks details of LMC sanitation workers

The issue of Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals allegedly living illegally in Lucknow has intensified, prompting strong displeasure from the office of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In a step to curb the menace, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has sought detailed data on sanitation workers from the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).

According to sources here on Monday, intelligence inputs suggest that some Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators may be working under the guise of municipal sanitation workers. Based on the data received from the LMC, authorities plan to take legal action against such individuals.

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The Lucknow Police has also asked the municipal body for details of sanitation staff. A letter from a Deputy Superintendent of Police at the ATS headquarters was sent to the LMC requesting complete information on daily-wage and outsourced workers engaged in waste management. The ATS sought details, including names, contractors, residential addresses, identity documents, mobile numbers, Aadhaar cards, and other relevant records.

Following the letter, all eight zonal in-charges and zonal sanitary officers of the LMC have begun collecting the required information. The Lucknow Police Commissionerate has also formally requested the same data from the corporation.

The ATS request has put the municipal administration on high alert, with officers reportedly receiving repeated calls to expedite the process. However, the municipal corporation has not yet submitted the complete data to the ATS.

Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar clarified that these sanitation workers are not permanent or contractual employees of the LMC. Instead, they work under private agencies contracted by the corporation. He assured that the requested information is being provided to the police.

Approximately 8,300 sanitation workers are employed through various agencies under the LMC. Among them, the Lucknow Swachhata Abhiyan (LSA) and Lion Enviro have the largest workforces. Of these, around 5,300 employees work as sanitation workers, while nearly 3,000 are engaged in door-to-door waste collection. Additionally, about 3,000 workers serve as permanent or contractual staff of the municipal corporation.

The investigation is expected to intensify as authorities verify the identities of thousands of sanitation workers across the city.