Proposal asking AIT to give Rs 50-cr aid to JIT causes resentment

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 24

The state government’s recent proposal asking the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) to a give financial assistance of Rs 50 crore to the Jalandhar Improvement Trust has led to resentment among civic body officials. Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi has written to the Chief Secretary, Local Bodies Department, lodging his protest against the move.

“I propose that just as the AIT is going to give Rs 50 crore to the Jalandhar Improvement Trust on the orders of the state government, similarly, the AIT can give the same amount to the Amritsar MC,” said Bakshi.

Bakshi said the sewerage system of the city had been running since 1911 and before 2019, sewage was dumped directly into clean water channels. The city has about 600 small and big tubewells, about 1,500 km of sewer lines and about 1,700 km of drinking water supply lines. In 2019, three sewage treatment plants were installed. The maintenance of these was entrusted to a company.

The due amount has not been paid to the company. So, the company is facing difficulty in carrying out maintenance. Keeping the above facts in mind, there is a need to make a concerted effort to improve the sewerage system because the meeting of G-20 countries is going to be held in March 2023.

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