Lucknow, Sept. 1 -- : The floor of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) headquarters became the site of a protest on Monday, as BJP corporator Harishchandra Lodhi sat on a dharna demanding that the civic body withdraw its approval for the private agency Lucknow Swachhta Abhiyan (LSA) to handle sanitation work in Mahanagar ward.

Lodhi alleged that garbage collection and street cleaning had deteriorated since LSA took charge and said the agency was brought in without consulting him. He also alleged that sanitation workers deployed in Mahanagar had not been paid since June, affecting both workers and the regularity of garbage collection.

The protest brought wider complaints against LSA into focus. BJP corporator Amit Chowdhury of Mahatm...