Earthen pots purchased for Patiala’s beautification lying at Rose Garden

Patiala, April 21

A majority of earthen pots purchased by the Municipal Corporation, Patiala, for beautification of the city are now lying at the Rose Garden, adjacent to the city bus stand. A year after they were purchased and placed across the city in April last year, a number of them lie broken while many went missing.

The Municipal Corporation had spent around Rs 8 lakh on the purchase of 300 planters and their maintenance. These were placed at a number of locations, including Lower Mall Road, Ragho Majra sabzi mandi, TB Hospital, Arya Samaj Road in Tripuri, and other places.

MC XEN Dalip Kumar said earlier the maintenance of the earthen pots was being carried out by the contractor. “According to our contract, the supplier was supposed to provide us 300 earthen pots and maintain them for a year. A number of pots broke when they were kept at the Ragho Majra vegetable market. The contractor then replaced them. Now the contract has come to completion and the corporation itself is taking care of the plants and the pots,” Dalip Kumar said.

Many pots are placed at the Rose Garden, while others are placed near TB Hospital, Defence Colony, dividers of the Tripuri market on the Leela Bhawan road, he said. Dalip Kumar said, “The expenditure on the pots has not gone down the drain. Rather, we are in profit while the contractor suffered losses worth over Rs 500 for each pot as a number of these were damaged.” —