Zirakpur civic body to be upgraded to municipal corporation: Minister

Punjab Local Government Minister Dr Ravjot Singh announced the upgrade of the Zirakpur Municipal Council to the corporation status soon.

During his visit to Zirakpur today, the minister highlighted the need for stronger governance due to rapid urban expansion. He stressed that a more empowered local body was essential to effectively manage civic amenities such as drinking water supply, sewage treatment and cleanliness.

Dr Ravjot urged MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa to submit a formal proposal through the Municipal Council to the Department of Local Government so that the process could begin promptly. The transition would be implemented from the next civic body elections in Zirakpur, he said. The Cabinet Minister, who was in the town in the early hours to inspect cleanliness and other civic amenities, expressed dissatisfaction over sanitation and ordered to enhance the number of sanitary workers.

Expressing concern over the choked Sukhna Choe, Dr Ravjot Singh directed the Municipal Council to take immediate measures to clean it with the help of the Drainage Department before monsoon. The government had on May 14 initiated the construction work of a high-level bridge on the choe at Baltana at a cost of Rs 5.96 crore to replace the causeway here.

He also urged the residents not to dump waste in the choe.

As MLA Randhawa raised the issue of sewage being discharged into the choe at Panchkula, causing trouble in the Peer Muchhalla area, Dr Ravjot Singh directed the state heads of the Local Government Department to take up the matter with the authorities concerned in the neighbouring state to resolve it at the earliest.

The minister also inspected the Furniture Market area of Baltana. He reviewed the cleanliness operations on Old Kalka Road and at Dhakoli.

Responding to a query, the Cabinet Minister said two sewage treatment plants (STPs), one of 47 million litres per day (MLD) capacity and another of 37 MLD, would be installed soon. The site for 47 MLD has been identified at Sanauli and handed over to the Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The selection of the site for the 37 MLD plant was underway and would be finalised soon, he said.

The minister was accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary Tejvir Singh and Local Government Department Director Gurpreet Singh Khaira besides Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) Anmol Singh Dhaliwal, Executive Officer Jagjeet Singh Judge and officials of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Meanwhile, on the directions of the minister, the Zirakpur Municipal Council immediately demolished the temporary structure of an illegal wine shop in the Peer Muchhalla area, which fell under its jurisdiction. MLA Singh Randhawa said the wine shop was operating from an illegally occupied MC area.