Under Chandigarh MC limits now, Mauli Jagran villagers say they were better off earlier

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21

After Mauli Jagran village came under the MC over two years ago, its situation has only deteriorated. Residents say their problems have increased and no development has taken place after the village came under the MC limits.

Former sarpanch Kartar Singh Thakur said, “Even the development that was undertaken earlier has been affected, while no new work has been started here. They ask for unnecessary permissions, even in the matter of construction of houses. People have to face difficulties as the panchayat system is over and the municipal elections have not been held. The UT Administration should have given extension to the panchayat system till a new MC body is formed here.”

Local resident Kamaldev Dhiman said, “There are katcha lanes in our village and these become slushy during the rainy season. It becomes difficult for us to walk outside our houses. Roads and lanes are never cleaned. The roads are dark at night as there are no street lights. Not even a single thing has been fixed after the civic body took over.”

Residents rued that other than civic problems, there was also a lack of basic facilities. There was no Sampark Centre and Janjh Ghar, they said.

They allege that certain facilities which existed earlier had also been removed. “There used to be a Gram Sampark Centre, but two months ago, it was shifted to Vikasnagar. Now, we have to go out of the village for works such as affidavits, stamps and pension,” said Surinder Singh Thakur.

Harbhajan Singh, a former Zila Parishad member, said, “They are now charging us heavily for water and sewerage. However, our sewer pipelines are old and have started leaking. Sometimes, drinking water gets mixed with sewage.”

Congress leader Shashi Shankar Tiwari, who lives in neighbouring Vikasnagar, Mauli Jagran, said, “Not just the village, the situation in the entire Mauli Jagran area has gone from bad to worse. Villagers had high hopes of development when they came under the MC limits, but they are now a harried lot. They have nowhere to go.”