Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday ordering the authorities concerned to revamp the Bhagtanwala dump by raising boundary walls around in the next two months seems to have break the ice with the locals, who were opposed to dumping of garbage by the Amritsar municipal corporation, leaving the civic body with little option.
Sukhbir, along with revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia, on Sunday visited the dump site and ordered the MC authorities to construct a 10-foot-high boundary around the 15-acre dump, besides using scientific means to process the wastage.
Taking a serious note of the problems faced by residents of the adjoining areas, the deputy chief minister asked municipal commissioner Pardeep Shabharwal to personally monitor the construction of the boundary wall and to ensure timely completion of four-laning of the road leading to the dump site.
As the residents repeatedly urged Badal that the garbage must not be dumped at the site as it was causing health problems to people living in the adjoining areas, Sukhbir assured them that he would personally review the situation and all care would be taken so that the residents face no hassles.
The dumping of garbage at Bhagtanwala has also become a matter of contention between the ruling coalition (SAD and BJP). The issue is so volatile that many a times people living in the area went on strike.
Bolaria remains absent
However, as Sukhbir and other Akali leaders visited the dump in the Amritsar (south) constituency, local Akali MLA and chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) Inderbir Bolaria had not accompanied him.
The dumping of garbage at Bhagtanwala has also become a matter of contention between the ruling coalition (SAD and BJP). The issue is so volatile that many a times people living in the area went on strike.
Bolaria remains absent
However, as Sukhbir and other Akali leaders visited the dump in the Amritsar (south) constituency, local Akali MLA and chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) Inderbir Bolaria had not accompanied him.
Other Akali leaders who accompanied Sukhbir included senior deputy mayor Avtar Singh, district president of SAD (urban) Upkar Singh Sandhu, Gurpartap Singh Tikka, Navdeep Singh Goldi and councillor Surinder Singh Sultanwind.