5 officials miss meeting, get show-cause notices

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 18

Five officials — the NHAI Project Director, the SE PWD, the SE Punjab State Water Supplies and Sewage Board, the Medical Superintendent Civil Hospital and the Secretary, Zila Parishad — on Tuesday were issued showcause notices for not attending the Grievances Committee meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Cabinet minister OP Soni, who said that he could not redress the problems raised by the members in the absence of the officials. He said there were three agenda items, including the faulty design of PAP flyover, which were marked to be answered by the NHAI project director, but he abstained from the meeting and hence the matter was postponed to the next month’s meeting.

The minister said he had also decided to write to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari regarding the problems being faced by Jalandhar residents because of technical glitches in the PAP flyover. The access to the flyover from the Jalandhar side has been blocked by the NHAI since the opening of the flyover.

The minister said the NHAI needed to ensure proper signage on national highways crossing the city. The other agenda items for the NHAI included expediting work of repairs/ construction of the National Highway, Shahkot, to Moga, Mehatpur to Parjian and service lane from Mehatpur to Shahkot, besides the construction of an ROB at Shahkot.

As MLA Sushil Rinku took up the issue regarding problems being faced by SC students over delay in grants of Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Soni said he would take up the issue with the Chief Minister in today’s Cabinet.

Chairing the meeting, Soni said all the funds allocated during the current fiscal should be utilised by the end of the year. He also constituted a committee comprising Additional Deputy Commissioners Vishesh Sarangal and Mr Jasbir Singh, Civil Surgeon Dr Gurinder Chawla and the SE PWD to explore the feasibility of operationalising the Community Health Centre at Khurla Kingra at the earliest.

The Minister also asked the Municipal Corporation to start construction work on the Nangal Shama-Chugitti road at a cost of around Rs 80 lakh. On the issue of construction of the track for driving licence at Shahkot, it was decided to take up the issue with the state government. Soni asked the Municipal Corporation and the Industries Department to resolve the issue of disposal of waste water in the Focal Point locality.

The minister said to ensure free dialysis for patients at local the Civil Hospital, he would personally ensure that new machines were installed for dialysis. He also asked the Chief Administrator, Jalandhar Development Authority, to present a detailed report for construction of a parking lot on the land of old DC office.

On the occasion, MLAs Pargat Singh, Sushil Kumar Rinku, Rajinder Beri, Chaudhary Surinder Singh and Hardev Singh Laddi, Mayor Jagdish Raj Raja and Chairman of Jalandhar Improvement Trust Daljeet Singh Ahluwalia were present.

Prominent among others present on the occasion included Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma, Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, MC Commissioner Diprava Lakra, Senior Superintendent of Police Navjot Singh Mahal, Additional Deputy Commissioners Vishesh Sarangal and Jasbir Singh, Sub Divisional Magistrates Amit Kumar, Rahul Sindhu, Dr Sanjiv Kumar and Dr Jai Inder Singh, Secretary RTA Dr Nayan Jassal.