CPS Bolaria urges Anil Joshi not to shirk his responsibility towards “Guru ki Nagri”

 (To activate action plan tomorrow to prevent garbage from being dumped at the Bhagtanwala ground)

Amritsar, Nov. 12 (Punjab Post Bureau) – Punjab chief parliamentary secretary Inderbir Singh Bolaria today urged Local Bodies minister Anil Joshi not to shirk his responsibility towards the “guru ki nagri” and its people who had given him everything, even as he announced an action plan to prevent garbage from being dumped at the Bhagtanwala site from tomorrow.

           In a statement here, the chief parliamentary secretary said it was unacceptable to tolerate discrimination in development in the holy city and that the people would take the first corrective step tomorrow by preventing garbage from being dumped at Bhagtanwala.“I also appeal to the Local Bodies minister, who is a resident of this holy city, to remember that he swore on oath that he would do what was right without any prejudice, fear or favour and that he would not mislead people in the discharge of his duties. However instead of doing his duty, the minister issued a highly misleading statement yesterday which has hurt me as well as the people of this holy city. As a minister he is duty bound to do what is right for the “guru ki nagri” and he should stop issuing misleading statements and offering lame excuses to hide his own failures.

           The akali leader also chided Mr Anil Joshi for politicizing what was essentially a municipal issue. “Mr Joshi should tell the people what he has done as their representative and as the Local Bodies minister to get the dumping ground shifted. He should also be true to the city and its people and take a decision on this issue on humanitarian grounds. “I have also taken up this issue on humanitarian grounds only”, Mr Bolaria said while reminding the minister that he had requested him about the need to shift the dumping ground on a number of occasions.

           Asserting that the reality was very different from what was being projected by the Local Bodies minister; Mr Bolaria said development was being conducted in a skewed manner in the holy city. “The minister best knows we have areas where tiles have been laid on tiles besides street lights after every few meters. In direct contrast there is a lack of development in areas around Bhagtanwala where people are also suffering from various kinds of respiratory diseases because chemicals and gases self ignite on several occasions. The Local Bodies and the municipal corporation could have easily bought land outside the city for relocating the Bhagtanwala dump with the money spent to make posh areas in the city even more posh. This proves his failure to ensure balanced development and efficient discharge of his duties, he said adding each and every citizen had a right over the municipal corporation and the latter was duty bound to look after the interests of the citizens

           Meanwhile giving details on the Bhagtanwala dumping site, Mr Bolaria said even during the last government a decision was taken to clear the site and establish a solid waste management plant. He said this project did not take off due to ego clashes, rivalry and allegations of wrong doing between the then BJP mp from Amritsar and the Local Bodies minister. “Even now people feel the BJP leaders are letting their ego get the better of them rather than being sensitive to the interests of the people of the city”.

           Mr Bolaria said there was an urgent need to shift the dumping site outside the city and Mr Joshi should act on this issue immediately instead of being seen as someone who was interested in developing a few posh localities of the city only. EOM