It is said that work for humanity without expectations give you the greatest result,. Well, the saying has turned out to be true in case of Inderjit Singh Sidhu. In July 2025, Inderjit Singh Sidhu, a retired DIG from Punjab went viral on social media after he was filmed leading a cleanliness drive in Sector 49 of Chandigarh.
On January 25 i.e. on the eve of Republic Day 2026, Inderjit Singh Sidhu was selected to be honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri award.
In 2025, Sidhu's story went viral. Every morning at 6 a.m., Sidhu pulls a rehri (handcart) through the streets, collecting garbage and ensuring the area of Chandigarh remains clean.
Inderjit Singh Sidhu was recruited in 1963 as an inspector through the Punjab Public Service Commission and was promoted to the IPS in 1981. He later served in Chandigarh as DIG, CID, before retiring on December 31, 1996. He now lives in the IAS-IPS Officers' Cooperative Society in Sector 49.
Inderjit Singh Sidhu started cleanliness drive by his own after being disheartened by the persistent litter in the area. He reportedly complained to the authorities multiple times but nothing concrete was done.
Sidhu had said, "I don't want to teach people. I just like clean places, so I clean it myself. Chandigarh came at number 2 in cleanliness rankings in India, but you can all see what is the ground reality. PM Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan made not much difference. I want Chandigarh to be number 1 in cleanliness and hence, I am trying everything I can."
