Irked over MC inaction, colony residents burn mayor's effigy

Claiming that their complaints regarding civic issues had not been redressed for over a year, residents of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) Colony burnt the effigy of mayor to mark their protest on Sunday.

Claiming that their complaints regarding civic issues had not been redressed for over a year, residents of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) Colony burnt the effigy of mayor to mark their protest on Sunday.

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While supporting the residents, ward councillor Gurpreet Gora also warned the municipal corporation (MC) of sitting on indefinite dharna with the area residents outside MC office if the authorities failed to take action.

Residents alleged that they were being forced to live in unsanitary conditions and were often suffering from diarrhoea and stomachaches.

One of the protesters, Raju said, “The residents burnt the effigy of mayor as nobody was listening our voice. The sewerage system remains blocked and unsanitary conditions have made our life difficult.”

Another resident Naresh Kumar said, “Authorities are not paying heed to our grievances, leaving us prone to diseases. The situation has worsened over the past year, but the MC has failed to act.”

Ward number 7 councillor Gurpreet Gora had also staged a protest with the area residents a few days ago.

Gora alleged that the MC authorities were discriminating against his ward, as he was an independent councillor and a Dalit. “They are ignoring the problems in our ward. The MLA of our area is also stopping development works in my ward,” he alleged.

When contacted, mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria said, “I had sent an executive engineer to visit the area and asked to redress the residents' problems.”

When told that the residents didn't get any relief, he assured that the officials concerned would be sent again to redress their problems.