Swiss City, Roseland Crying for basic Amenities, Residents Meet For Self-Help

Amritsar, 16 August (Punjab Post Bureau)- Taking an initiative in the direction of `self help’, the residents of Swiss City and Roseland colonies constituted Swiss City Welfare Association (SCWA) today to press upon the civic authorities concerned to provide them the basic amenities. The colonies are crying for even the basic amenities including the sanitation, power supply, security as the two residential colonies depict a picture of utter neglect.

The private colonizers JV Associates who developed the colonies were also asked by the residents to work for the safety and security of the residents. The roads are pot-holed and broken, insanitary conditions prevail, parks are unkempt and boundary walls are broken. “So pathetic is the situation that druggists keep moving around posing a serious security hazard. Even the cattles are roaming around”, said Dr. Vinay Sukhija, newly appointed President of SCWA. 

It is more than 15 years passed when the colonies were passed by Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) but the lack of basic amenities still haunts the residents as the basic maintenance works have not even been completed. The developers and promoters of the colony are wishfully and arbitrarily not completing the much needed development works which they were duty bound to complete as per written agreements and pledges.

Dr. Sukhija expressed his anguish on how they are still struggling with the civic issues. “The basic amenities and facilities like power supply, streetlights, security guards, sewage, cleanliness and maintenance of parks, roads and proper boundary walls are not available”, he rued. SCWA Senior Vice President DS Rataul said they had summoned the JV Associates who have now promised to do some basic work. “We are making our own collections and through a self help group services we have now decided to take on some of the other basic maintenance works’’, said Rataul.

Neha Arora, general secretary said the developers have sold out most of the commercial plots and are now packing up, caring less to ensure the provision of amenities. They are, as per law duty bound to provide the facilities. This is bringing bad name to PUDA also”, said she adding that the condition of the roads are so poor and get easily waterlogged during monsoon. From JV Associates Sarbjit Singh Gumtala, Davinder Singh Dhaliwal also have now promised to undertake development works. Others in the self-help group included Harjinder Singh, Dr. Sukhdev Singh, JP Singh, Sonia Arora, Akash Soni, Amandeep, SS Gumtala, DS Dhaliwal, Gurcharan Singh, PS Sahota, Harpreet Singh were present.