Give us three months to solve civic issues: Manpreet to residents

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 17

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today asked residents of Ward No. 1 to give him 90 days’ time to address their problems of lack of basic civic amenities.

He assured the residents that the development works in the ward would be completed by next year.

After listening to their problems, he convened a meeting of officials of the Municipal Corporation, Water Supply and Sanitation and other departments on Monday in this regard.

The minister today visited the ward to holde a public meeting.

Residents of Sucha Singh Nagar, who were present at the meeting, took up the issue of sewage overflow, bad condition of roads and open drains.

The residents argued that the ward, which is one of the biggest wards with 5,500 voters, was still a semi-urban area. They alleged that the MC and other departments had been ignoring it as the ward was situated on the outskirts of the city, along the Bathinda-Goniana road.

Ward No. 1 comprises Adarsh Nagar, Mandir Colony, NFL Colony, Sucha Singh Nagar, Guru Nanakpura Kothe, Dhillon Colony and Puleh Wale Kothe. BJP councillor and Deputy Mayor Gurinderpal Mangat has been representing the ward for the past three terms.

In the absence of a sewerage system in the area, water accumulates on roads during the monsoon season and emanates a foul smell, residents said.

They also complained of low water pressure and poor lifting of garbage.

They claimed that though former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had laid the foundation stone of the sewerage project in the area eight years ago, the work on the project started only a few months ago.