Mandi Ward Watch - Behna: Amenities poor, locals want exclusion from MC

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, March 20

With their area lacking in basic amenities, residents of the Behna ward of have sought exclusion from the Mandi Municipal Corporation.

They have submitted memorandum in this regard to the state government on several occasions.

The Behna ward which was formed after the merger of Behna, Gutkar and Dhaundhi gram panchayats.

Lek Raj Rawat, a resident of Behna ward, said since formation of the Mandi MC, no visible infrastructural development has been witnessed in the ward. “Roads are full of potholes and dusty, while pedestrian paths are broken. Footpaths damaged in the last monsoon season, are yet to be repaired,” he added.

He said the ward lacked facilities which were commonly available to urban areas residents. “There is no provision to connect households under the ward with sewerage. The residents were much better off when they were under their respective gram panchayats. Now, even for their small works they have to visit the MC office at Mandi town.”

Around 900 people of the ward had signed a petition demanding the ward’s exclusion from the MC, he said.

Manoj Kumar, another resident of the ward, said, “Since the merger of the gram panchayats with the MC, the residents of rural areas are facing problems as for construction activities they have to go by the Town and Country Planning Act. In rural areas, people have little land in their possession and houses are constructed jointly. In near future, when families will divide and they need reconstruct their houses, it will become very difficult for them to meet the guidelines of Town and Country Planning Act as after division landholding will further decrease. Besides, prior permission of Town and the Country Planning Department will be necessary for them to start any construction work now.”

Dharam Chand Verma, another resident of the ward, said, “We want basic amenities like better footpaths, road connectivity, sewerage facility, parks for recreation and proper drainage system, which we are lacking at the moment. Currently, the ward is developing at a snail’s pace, which has left the residents disappointed.”

Behna ward Councillor Krishan Bhanu said, “Due to the lack of funds, I am facing difficulty to speed up development work in the ward. However, some development works have been taken up. I got constructed a crematorium in the ward, which was pending for the past many years. An open gym has been set up and efforts are on establish a library. Around 70 per cent area of the ward has been covered with streetlights and the lights will be installed in the remaining parts also.”

The councillor said efforts were on to ensure pucca roads and footpaths, besides sewerage facility, potable water and park for the convenience of residents.

“Some residents want the ward excluded from the MC jurisdiction. However, they have never approached me to take my support for it.”

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