MCB finds itself stuck in contract with Triveni

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 26

The Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) seems to be stuck between the devil and the deep sea as its officials and councillors want to do away with the agreement with Triveni Company but they are unable to do so.

The MCB today organised an all party meeting in which it was discussed how to tackle the waterlogging and rain disposal issues in the city.

Irked over the poor working of Triveni Company, officials and councillors have decided to get the 1,000 chronic manholes, road gullies and connecting pipelines cleaned by the Sewerage Board by May 30.

They have also told the Sewerage Board to desilt the main pipeline using the super sucker machine.

XENs Kishore Bansal and Ravinder Singla have been deputed to the check the work and submit day-to-day work report.

It was also decided to get the desilting of Sanjay Nagar pond and DAV college pond done and increase their capacity.

To get it done, the MCB has decided to take Rs 50 lakh money from the Rs 4 crore beautification project of ponds, which has already been passed in the general house meeting.

Desilting of the sullage carrier has also been ordered, which carriers the city sewage and rainwater.

It has also been decided to get extra motor pumps and generator so that in case there’s a technical snag, the stand by motors and generator should set into work.

Officials were also told to check all motors and generators in the city if anyone required any oiling or repairs, then it should be immediately done.

The MCB has also fixed the responsibility of the work. JE’s have been deputed at the motors and if any negligence is found over the rainwater disposal then strict action would be taken against erring officials.

The money spent for the work done by the Sewerage Board would be deducted from the Triveni Company’s project amount.

Senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal said, “Now, taking precautions, we will be undertaking the job ourselves. The Sewerage Board will handle Triveni and if they fail to do so, they have promised they will do the work on their own.”

Triveni Company DGM VB Shivangi said, “I don’t know why they are accusing us of not working. We have been allotted work of Rs 45 crore so far of which Rs 33 crore work has already been done and the rest is under progress. The total project is of Rs 288 crore.”

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath, senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal, deputy mayor Gurinderpal Kaur Mangat, Municipal Commissioner Anil Kumar Garg, councillors Jagroop Singh Gill, Jugraj Singh, Pardeep Gola and others were present in the meeting.