Additional municipal commissioner Ajit Kumar Jain said municipal staff from the conservancy department employed to maintain the tenements could be used to carry out cleanliness drives in other areas. ``We do not need so much of staff to clean the tenements. They can be maintained by hiring the services of private contractors,'' he said. He said employing private contractors would also be cheaper.

A circular issued by Jain last month had stated that conservancy staff involved in sweeping chawls and tenements and cleaning common toilets and washing places would be withdrawn from October 21. Tenants were asked to assume the responsibility of maintaining their tenements. However, following complaints from tenants,the administration has now decided to award the work to private contractors and charge tenants for the service. Jain said the amount to be charged from tenants was being worked out. Once this is done, BMC would invite tenders and award the work to contractors.

However, residents who have been availing of this facility free have protested this move. President of The Federation of Municipal Tenants Association, Samuel Augustine, has dashed off a letter to Mayor Hareshwar Patil asking him to intervene in the matter. ``The BMC has been recovering service charges from its tenants for many years. It is therefore improper to withdraw these facilities. This amounts to changing the existing policy of providing basic amenities. The policy should not be changed by administrative orders,'' said Augustine.

He added that in private layouts, owners of tenements provided these facilities to tenants, so in this case too, it is the duty of the municipal administration to provide these facilities.

Senior secretary of theMunicipal Mazdoor Union, Digambar Satav, said he would take up the matter with the municipal administration. The administration wants to make up for the money splurged by the Mayor-in-Council members, and the burden is being passed on to poor tenants, he alleged.