Chandigarh, September 7
Navjot Singh Sidhu may be guffawing his way to popularity in laughter shows on the national television. But when it comes to the stench emanating from the garbage heaps in his constituency - Amritsar, the dead-serious cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu does not turn up his nose.

Perturbed over the piling heaps of garbage in the holy city of Amritsar, Sidhu landed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court this morning for underscoring before the Bench the dirty issue.

Accompanied by BJP leader-cum-senior advocate Satya Pal Jain, Sidhu appeared before the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Jain during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest on the issue.

The matter had reached the high court after garbage disposal and processing unit contract awarded to a company in 2006 was cancelled. The company had moved the high court, following which orders for maintaining status quo were issued. Subsequently, a non-governmental organisation also moved the high court, and both petitions were clubbed.

As the case came up for resumed hearing before the Bench, Sidhu made it clear that Amritsar was one of the first cities in the country to introduce the system of door-to-door garbage collection. But in the absence of a processing unit, the effort practically went down the drain. Sidhu also sought issuance of directions for making alternative arrangements.

The counsel for the respondents, on the other hand, claimed that 40 trolleys had been deployed for collecting garbage.

Taking cognisance of the issues raised by Sidhu, the Bench directed Amritsar Municipal Corporation Commissioner to appear in the court on September 18. The Bench also directed the authorities concerned to make arrangements for preventing the outbreak of any disease.

Talking to the media after the court hearing, Sidhu indicated that laughter might be the best medicine. But he still believed in the concept of prevention being better than cure.

He said Amritsar was the Vatican City of the Sikhs, their Mecca and the showcase of Punjabiyat. But, the threat of epidemic was looming large with heaps of rubbish, as high as 25 feet, lying right next to residential complexes.