Shifting waste treatment plant a promise too dear

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 24

Political parties seem to have landed in a difficult situation over the shifting of the solid waste management plant as during the election campaign, all parties, including the Congress, AAP and SAD, had promised to shift it out of the city after coming to power but at the ground level, the situation is too complicated.

The plant has been constructed at a cost of Rs 28 crore. It is ready for operation but lying defunct due to the protest by residents of the nearby colonies.

This plant is the first model plant in the state and other eight plants in various districts were also to come up on this pattern.

This plant has been constructed as per the guidelines and approval of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The NGT is also monitoring the progress of the plant by getting monthly report from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and district administration.

It has also urged the state government to start its functioning at the earliest.

A senior MCB official, on condition of anonymity, said the NGT would not allow this plant to remain defunct for long as it is the model plant and other projects would be based on it.

Moreover, apart from Rs 28 crore construction cost, there are other financial implications.

JITF Company, which has constructed and operated this plant, would seek more money for the time lost in this project if the state government shifts the plant from here.

The company has also spent more than Rs 1 crore to make it pollution-free by using the latest technology.

Finding and acquiring new land for this project would also be big project for the state government.

Company officials said they were facing a huge financial loss every month due to the non-functioning of the plant.

“The district administration and Municipal Corporation had instructed us to make the plant pollution-free. We spent huge money on it. Despite fulfilling all requirements, we did not get permission to run the plant,” said an official of the company.

Congress leader and PPCC secretary Rajan Garg said, “We promised this in our manifesto. It will be fulfilled at any cost. Money is not above the safety of the people, so financial implication is not an issue at all.”

SAD leader Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said, “We are planning to shift this plant away from here and we will initiate the process after the code of conduct is lifted.”