Issues at play in MC polls: Heaps of trash, clogged sewerage residents’ main concern in Phagwara

Dubbed as a key NRI belt, the list of public issues has piled up in these years due to the lackadaisical approach of the respective state governments.

In the gap of nine years since the last municipal corporation elections were held in Phagwara, the civic amenities have taken a hit.

Dubbed as a key NRI belt, the list of public issues has piled up in these years due to the lackadaisical approach of the respective state governments.

Dubbed as a key NRI belt, the list of public issues has piled up in these years due to the lackadaisical approach of the respective state governments.

Phagwara situated on New Delhi-Amritsar national highway comprises 50 wards and got the status of municipal corporation in 2013 during SAD-BJP tenure. It was in 2015 when the first MC elections were held and the SAD-BJP alliance came to power. Arun Khosla of the BJP, a loyalist of former MLA from Phagwara and chief parliamentary secretary Som Parkash, was elected as the first mayor.

The next polls were due in 2020 but the then Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government kept postponing it. Later, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) followed the suit trend.

Prominent issues include the lack of a solid waste management plant due to which the heaps of garbage can be seen at every nook and cranny of the city.

Other issues include a lack of a sewerage treatment plant, crumbling sewerage and sanitation system, deficiency of public parks and playgrounds, public transport system, non-maintenance of streetlights, excessive population of stray dogs, waterlogging during monsoon and increase in petty crime due to poor CCTV coverage. Besides the issue of unabated construction of illegal buildings in the jurisdiction of Phagwara MC, the lack of a single window system for clearance of building plans for residential and commercial establishments is also a key issue that needs immediate resolution.

Both AAP and BJP have come up with their respective manifestos, focusing on the key demands of the people. However, the Congress party, which has its legislative MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, have failed to come up any such poll document as of now.

In its manifesto, the ruling AAP has promised 50 electric buses, state-level status to Baba Gadhia stadium for promotion of sports, to declare Gurdwara Sukhchain road as a heritage route, ₹50 crore STP plant to solve sewage problems and transparent and legal commercialisation of market roads.

On the other hand, the BJP has promised to fill vacant posts in the MC, install streetlights, 24x7 availability of clean drinking water; and cleanliness of sewer lines, repair of the Phagwara-Banga road which connects Shree Vishwakarma Mandir and Gurudwara Sukhchaina Sahib, completion of Phagwara Ring Road project, assured implementation of schemes of Union Government, bio-gas project, upgrading of the fire brigade, modernisation of bus stand and parking lot under public-private partnership schemes.

BJP’s former MP Vijay Sampla said the civic amenities in the city have completely collapsed as the bureaucrats, who were at the helm of affairs since 2020, had not done anything for the development of the city.

“During our tenure from 2015-2020, the BJP had undertaken several developmental projects but both the Congress and AAP governments not only halted the projects but worked with a very myopic approach towards the development of Phagwara, which is one of the prominent cities of the Doaba region,” Sampla said.

Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, AAP’s MP from Hoshiarpur, who is looking after MC polls in Phagwara, said the party had conducted in-depth discussions on the issues before coming up with the five major guarantees in its poll manifesto.

“The primary goal of AAP guarantees is to provide maximum facilities to the people and resolve public issues on a priority basis. The AAP will start fulfilling these promises if AAP voted to power,” Chabbewal said.

Resident’s speak

The city urgently requires a complete overhaul. There has been no major development project over the years. There is a lack of public parks and stadiums-- Mukesh Gera, Chartered accountant

Cleanliness is one of the major issues as heaps of garbage are littered around the city. The sewerage system has completely collapsed-- Karanjot Singh Jhikka, Bar association prez

Due to the non-maintenance of street lights and lack of CCTV cameras, petty crimes are on the rise. Something needs to be done about the stray dog menace-- Dr Rohit Khurma, a medical practitioner

The sewerage system requires immediate overhaul. Solid waste management is also the need of the hour-- Vitin Puri, social activist