Colonies sans basic facilities

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 24

The Municipal Corporation (MC) charges a requisite fee to approve the building plan in colonies, approved by the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), on the outskirts of the city, but it takes a back seat when it comes to providing them basic facilities.

Private colonisers have developed a large number of residential colonies on the outskirts of the city in a couple of years.

Following the recommendation of the government, the colonisers provide the basic facilities, such as parks, water supply, recommended size of roads and streets, street lights and security in their colonies. PUDA officials visit the colonies and then approve it.

As per the rules, the MC takes over the colonies from the Punjab Urban Development Authority and plot owners have to pass the building plan from the town planning wing of the MC.

The Local Bodies Department collects fee for approving the building plan and also charges refundable security fee for installing the rain harvesting system.

After selling their plots and handing over the colony to the MC, the colonisers often leave the area. Residents expect from the MC all necessary facilities, but they are left disappointed eventually as the civic body faces paucity of funds. Residents have to maintain their localities on their own.

Ajay Arora, a resident of Garden Enclave, said, “We have paid the building plan fee to the MC. As per rules, the MC is liable to provide basic facilities.  We met the local area councillor and asked him to arrange MC sweepers, but he told us that the MC didn’t have funds to deploy the staff in outer colonies. After several requests, now garbage collection van of the solid waste management company has started visiting our area.”

Iqbal Singh, another resident, said, “The MC should provide all the facilities to residents. There are some colonies on Majitha Road which are under the panchayat of a nearby village and the panchayat provides them all necessary facilities.”