Ram Bagh's fountain lying defunct for last 5 years, authorities playing musical chairs

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Amritsar, June 7

City’s first musical fountain at the Company Bagh has been lying defunct for the last five years.

The SAD-BJP government had spent Rs 1 crore on the project and it was inaugurated on March 4, 2016, by then Cabinet minister Anil Joshi.

Ironically, the fountain had stopped working soon after the SAD-BJP’s term got over. Congress leaders assured to repair it, but they, too, failed to do so during their term.

The Municipal Corporation (MC) had no role in the installation of the musical fountain and the development of Children’s Park in the garden, as the then minister Joshi had bypassed the MC House and funds were used through the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT). After the end of BJP’s term, AIT stopped making payment to the contractor hired for its maintenance.

Morning and evening walkers and visitors criticise the government for spending Rs 1crore on such an unsuccessful project. The water accumulated at the base of the fountain stinks.

In 2019, the MC had allocated funds to revive the functioning of the fountain, but the repair was not carried out.

Last year, the MC listed the repair work in the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) grant. The city received Rs 19 crore for various projects under NCAP, an initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

“I am not aware of the current status of the musical fountain, but it will be repaired under the NCAP project,” said Sandeep Singh, MC Superintending Engineer.