DDCMC meet: MLA, MPs ask for boost to civic plans in Amritsar

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, January 22

Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, MLA from Amritsar North, has asked the authorities concerned to remove the newly constructed tabletop speed-breakers, constructed recently in several intersections of the city. He raised the issue at a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) and demanded departmental action against officials who implemented the work without taking advice from the public. MLA Kunwar Vijay Partap had openly opposed the idea of these tabletop speed-breakers, calling it a wastage of public money and responsible for creating hurdles in the flow of traffic.

Gurjit Singh Aujla, Lok Sabha member from Amritsar, presided over the meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee. He reviewed the development works and urged the Municipal Corporation officials to make arrangements for cleanliness in the city and also address the problem of garbage on a priority basis. He said that new machines are being installed at the Bhagtanwala dumpsite to get rid of the garbage. Aujla said that the parking of garbage collection vehicles at Ranjit Avenue should be stopped immediately.

MP Aujla instructed officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that all underpasses being constructed on the bypass should be of 5.5 meters so that people do not face any difficulty. He said that during the visit of the Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, the issues related to national highway (NH) were brought to his attention. He asked the officials to provide details of the projects so that a follow-up could be done for implementation.

Aujla expressed concern over industrial waste discharge into city drains including Tung Dhab, Mananwala, Bhaktanwala and drains located on Tarn Tarn Road and asked for a meaningful solution.

Assistant chairman of the committee, Jasbir Singh Dimpa, Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib, emphasised on the resumption of the BRTS bus service and said that there was a need to increase the number of these buses. He urged the resumption of bus service for the convenience of the people. Dimpa also directed to immediately release appropriate compensation to the farmers for the land acquired for the national highway.

Addressing the meeting, MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap took stock of the ongoing development works and said that more new vehicles should be deployed by the solid waste management company to remove garbage in the city. He also raised the issue of exploitation of employees in the garbage collection company and asked for a report on it.

The Amritsar North MLA warned officials against delay in executing the development works. He said that all the development works should be completed in time. Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori took up issues raised by the committee members and gave an assurance that the work would be completed within the specified time-frame and said that any official found guilty of negligence will be booked and departmental action taken against him.