NGO questions working of Khanna civic body

Our Correspondent

Khanna, December 17

An NGO, Lok Sewa Club, had questioned the partial work being carried out by Municipal Council, Khanna, regarding the leveling of the local bus stand.

Filling potholes with sand is not enough, a complete renovation of the totally damaged bus stand compound road is required to facilitate the commuters and general public. “Till the Municipal Council renovates city’s main bus stand compound road completely in all respects as per tender passed five year ago, we will continue with the demand of public facilities at bus stand,” said PD Bansal, president, Lok Sewa Club, Khanna. Bansal said the project was pending from five years in spite of the verbal orders given by Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, to the MC authorities so as to get the work done on priority basis.

As per the RTI information obtained from public information officer, Municipal Council, Khanna, by the NGO, a resolution to repair the damaged portion of the bus stand compound road (YARD) by paving interlocking tiles was passed for worth Rs 10, 000 vide resolution no. 17/31/47 dated: October 10, 2008. Tender was cleared on June 30, 2009, and work order was given to contractor VK Jain on July 3, 2009, yet said project has not been initiated by the contractor so for. Contract allotted to VK Jain has been cancelled by the Nagar Council authorities on May 28, 2014, and moreover no legal action has been taken against the defaulter till now.

Being Asia’s biggest grain market and purchase hub for so many villages adjoining to Khanna, thousands of people approach the city to fulfill their daily needs through this bus stand but a total lack of basic facilities makes their visit tough. Unhygienic bathroom, toilets, improper sitting arrangements, potholes in compound road adds up to the problems. Bansal added that the present status of the basic facilities and pending tender project had been brought into the notice of Ludhiana DC and it had been demanded that a time bound order should be passed to complete the renovation project.

EO, Khanna, Charanjit Singh said they had taken only the levelling work of the bus stand road and total renovation work would start after the new president gets elected after the MC polls.