Janitorial worker returns Rs900,000 found in trash

FAISALABAD: A woman sanitation worker, Nusrat Bibi, has won hearts in Faisalabad after choosing honesty over temptation — returning Rs900,000 she discovered while doing her daily rounds.

According to sources, Nusrat was cleaning the streets of Mohalla Neghaban Pura when she spotted the money inside a dustbin. Overwhelmed but unwavering, she immediately reported the find to her supervisor instead of keeping a single rupee.

The supervisor contacted residents of the locality, identified the rightful owner and returned the entire amount.

Nusrat Bibi is among the 130,000 sanitation workers of the “Suthra Punjab” programme who work day and night to keep Punjab’s cities clean.

She said she had earned a halal living all her life and raised her children on the same values, and returning the money was simply an act of conscience.

Faisalabad Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir lauded her honesty and announced a reward of Rs300,000, a commendation certificate and a job for her son in the district administration. He said such examples promote integrity in society.

It is worth mentioning that the American magazine Forbes recently declared the Suthra Punjab programme the world’s most organised waste management system.

According to the administration, more than 50,000 tonnes of waste is collected and processed daily under the programme.