Sangrur raises stink as land lease row hits waste-lifting

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, August 23

The city stinks badly these days as the nagar council has failed to release payment for the land where it dumps the waste.

The council has leased the land from farmer Randhir Singh, who has not been allowing unloading of waste since August 16 due to non-release of his pending payment of Rs 5.98 lakh.

Sources said the NC had taken 5 acres of land on the Ubhawal road from Randhir Singh at an annual lease of Rs 5.98 lakh in 2013. The council was allegedly using only 1.5 acres of land, while the remaining land was being used by the owner for agriculture and mining purposes, they said.

In March, the Vigilance Bureau had registered a case against NC president Ripudaman Singh Dhillon, sanitary inspector Jasbir Singh and Randhir Singh under Sections 409, 420 and 120-B IPC and Section 21 of the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act 1957.

“Since the VB has registered a false case against me for mining on the land, I have not signed the cheque for Rs 5.98 lakh for payment to Randhir. I do not want to face more trouble,” said Dhillon.

Meanwhile, heaps of waste have come up in almost all parts of the city. It has now started littering on roads from temporary dumps at Haripura, near civil hospital, Mahavir Chowk, Nabha Gate and other parts.

“Insanitary conditions prevail all around. We are paying taxes to the NC, but it has even failed to ensure regular lifting of waste from the city,” said Vijay Kumar, a shopkeeper at Mahavir chowk.

Local MLA Vijay Inder Singla also spoke to senior officers on Wednesday for an early resolution of the problem.

The NC on Thursday passed a resolution to clear the payment. “The cheque will be given to Randhir Singh in a day or two. We will try to start lifting garbage from Friday,” said Mahesh Kumar Meshi, a councillor.