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Ludhiana: BJP leaders, locals fume over poor state of city centre site
Irked over unhygienic conditions and frequent accidents due to lack of a boundary wall at the abandoned Ludhiana city centre site at SBS Nagar, BJP leaders and locals staged a protest against the municipal corporation and Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) on Wednesday
Irked over unhygienic conditions and frequent accidents due to lack of a boundary wall at the abandoned Ludhiana city centre site at SBS Nagar, BJP leaders and locals staged a protest against the municipal corporation and Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) on Wednesday.
Writing to chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, local bodies minister Brahm Mohindra, Punjab State Human Rights Commission among others, BJP leader Vineet Pal Singh Monga also slammed Cabinet minister and Ludhiana (West) MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu and mayor Balkar Sandhu for failing to the resolve the problem.
Monga said that the authorities had failed to establish a boundary wall around the site, despite repeated complaints. “Unhygienic conditions prevail in the area as garbage is dumped on the site by some residents and construction contractors,” he said, adding, “The site has become a safe haven for anti-social elements and criminals. The decomposed body of a man had also been found hanging on the site last year. Accidents have also taken place as there is no boundary wall and the street lights remain defunct. Recently, a calf had fallen into the dug-up portion and residents had rescued it with great difficulty. Due to dumping of waste, foul smell pervades the surrounding residential areas.”
Breeding ground for mosquitoes
At a time when residents are concerned over the rising number of dengue cases in the city, protesters say the site has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A few road cave-in incidents have also been reported on the adjoining road due to soil erosion in the absence of a boundary walls.
LIT superintending engineer Buta Ram said, “The LIT cannot establish a permanent boundary wall on the site as it is in the possession of the construction company. The case regarding the city centre is sub-judice. We had put up a temporary boundary by installing iron sheets and wires around the site for the safety of residents. If the iron sheets have broken, I will direct the ground staff to take corrective steps.”
Human rights commission seeks report
After a resident of the area, RTI activist Arind Sharma moved the Punjab State Human Rights Commission over absence of a boundary wall around the site, the commission has sought a report regarding the same from MC commissioner on next hearing of the case in January. The MC officials, however, said that the site falls under the jurisdiction of the LIT and the civic body has nothing to do with it.
