Rajasansi Nagar Panchayat grapples with civic issues

Even as the Rajasansi Nagar Panchayat is one of the richest civic bodies in the district, the town faces a plethora of problems, including the lack of a proper sewerage and solid waste management system.

The nagar panchayat fills its coffers by collecting taxes from the international airport, big hotels and commercial establishments in its vicinity.

Residents claim that despite tall promises by local politicians, the town is yet to get the sewerage system and waste treatment plant. They are upset over choked and stinking open drains. Heaps of garbage can be seen in the main street along the historic Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh Naurnagabad.

“Blocked sewers often leads to clash between the residents as they blame each other for the mess. Garbage can be seen scattered along the open drains, causing blockage,” said Harpal Singh, a resident.

Visitors to Shri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport often complain of non-functional streetlights on the main road. However, these streetlights are maintained by the Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, and the Public Works Department.

Encroachments near the Airport Road at Rajasansi bus stand cause inconvenience to visitors, yet the nagar panchayat has made no efforts to address the issue.

The loosely hanging electric wires in areas inhabited by economically weaker sections pose a threat to public safety. The residents allege that despite repeated complaints to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), the issue remains unresolved.

“Providing free electricity to the public doesn’t mean that the PSPCL can ignore public safety. The authorities are yet to resolve the issue of tangled cables and wires,” said Gurmeet Kaur, a resident of Rajasansi.

It was upgraded from a village panchayat to a nagar panchayat on April 1, 1998. The town is divided into 13 wards and elections are held every five years. In the December 21, 2024 elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won nine out of 13 seats. However, even after two-and-a-half months, they have failed to elect the nagar panchayat’s president, leaving the civic body in a “non-functional” state.

Rajasansi MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria said, “During the Congress regime, I made efforts and the Local Bodies Department sanctioned around Rs 25 crore through the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) to lay sewer lines and set up a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The first installment of Rs 2.5 crore was received and the work was started by the Water Supply and Sewerage board.

However, when the AAP government came to power in 2022, the work was stopped. Now, their representatives have even failed to elect a president of the nagar panchayat, leaving the House defunct. No efforts are being made to lay sewers and install the STP. We will restart the work when the Congress will return to power.”