Residents lock MCB officials inside office

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 4

High drama prevailed at the office of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda this afternoon when residents and traders of Sirki Bazaar staged a protest outside the MCB building.

Annoyed over rainwater still accumulated in Sirki Bazaar, the protesters locked the MCB officials and workers inside the building for almost an hour and a half.

Senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal, deputy mayor Gurinderpal Kaur Mangat and several councillors were also locked inside the building.

Seeing the main gate locked and a crowd of protesters outside, residents who had come to the MCB office to get their work done returned.

The officers then informed MCB Commissioner Sanyam Aggarwal about the protest, who in turn directed the senior officials to intervene and pacify the protesters.

Not the ones to bow down easily, the protesters remained adamant on meeting the Commissioner to discuss their demands.

After persuading, the protesters relented and unlocked the gate but only after they were promised that the Commissioner would hold a meeting with them to find a solution to the problem of waterlogging.

The protesters threatened that in case the promise was not fulfilled, they would intensify their stir.

Leading the protesters, Congress leader Harjinder Singh Sidhu alleged that the MCB officials were indulging in corrupt practices.

“The MCB has become an epitome of corruption in the city. The MCB officials are least concerned about the issues that the city residents are facing. They are more inclined towards planning projects through which they can mint money,” he said.

The protesters alleged that every year the MCB claims that it is prepared to tackle waterlogging during the monsoon season but even five minutes of heavy rain is enough to deflate them.

“For the past five decades, we have been facing the problem of waterlogging, which is increasing with every passing year as the population of the city is increasing. The city area is expanding, in turn putting extreme pressure on the sewerage system,” said protesters.

They added that monsoon meant problems and loss of business since the customers didn’t come to Sirki Bazaar during these days.