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Abohar, August 25
Punjab Congress vice-president Sunil Jakhar has said the Swachh Bharat Mission has fallen flat in the state.
He was speaking after visiting waterlogged Arya Nagar, which has Dalit population in the majority, and neighbouring Sidhu Nagari here today.
“The previous UPA government had proposed a Rs 72-crore plan for the renovation of sewerage and roads in the colonies. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had laid its foundation stone in February 2014, but the NDA government dumped the proposal,” Jakhar said.
CM Parkash Singh Badal had claimed he would arrange a ‘truck load’ of development grants from the Modi government, but not even a rupee had been given to the state, he said.
The state government, the Congress leader said, had released Rs 12 crore to expand water works here, but the BJP-run Municipal Council failed to utilise the money in the prescribed period. “I took up the matter with Badal when he visited rain-ravaged Rajiv Nagar here on September 15, 2014.”
Jakhar quoted other instances of “willful neglect”. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal had laid another foundation stone for a project in new water works on December 13, 2014, but work had not started. “It appears the SAD-BJP leaders have decided to deprive people of basic amenities. I will raise the issue in the House,” he said.
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