Faridkot admn collects fine for keeping premises unhygienic

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, December 17

After issuing show-cause notices to 550 households and commercial establishments in the district for keeping their premises unhygienic, the district administration has now started collecting  fines from them.

In Faridkot town, the administration had issued show-cause notice to 281 households and of them, it collected Rs 50,500 as fine from 101 households.

“To recover the fine from other 180 households, we have decided to move court,” said Faridkot Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Prashar.

Health Department officials said more than 800 dengue cases were registered from the district this season. As many as 600 dengue cases were registered only from Kotkapura town, they added. 

The Health Department had asked civic bodies to issue show-cause notice to about 525 household, commercial establishments and under-construction buildings with potential mosquito breeding grounds on their premises.

“Collecting the fine is no-way a purpose of the Health Department, but it is just an attempt so that people themselves behave responsibly by not creating congenial conditions for the breeding of dengue larvae,” said the Deputy Commissioner. 

High prevalence of dengue in Kotkapura is attributed to congested residential areas, stagnation of water, scathing potholes and shortage of drinking water in some localities.

“In some localities of town such as Gandhi Basti and Prem Nagar, residents have facing shortage of drinking water. Most of the houses have groundwater tanks to store the irregular water supply by the Water Supply and Sanitation Department. Most of these tanks are partially covered, leading to congenial conditions for the growth of dengue and its larvae,” said a senior officer of the Health Department.

Known for its financial bankruptcy, the Municipal Committee (MC), Kotkapura, has only one fogging machine. “The Health Department is providing us insecticides and we are doing our best with the available resources,” said Narinder Jindal, Executive Officer, MC,

The Kotkapura MC has outstanding dues of over Rs 25 crore. Against the income of Rs 62 lakh every month, the salary and pension bill of its employees stand at Rs 87 lakh per month. 

The MC is facing over 150 court cases for non-payment of dues. In 1996, the Kotkapura MC had total 310 sweepers and in 2018, the number was 150, notwithstanding that the population of the town has increased, said Jindal