Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Sukhbir expresses shock over neglect of Amritsar

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday expressed shock at the callous manner in which the Congress government had neglected Amritsar which has been ranked amongst the 10 filthiest big cities in the country.

Demanding a high-level probe to identify those responsibl­e for defiling the name of the holy city globally, Sukhbir said the city was being discrimina­ted against under the Congress government. “It is shocking that the Swachh Survekshan rankings had revealed that cleanlines­s in the walled city comprising Sri Harmandar Sahib was the worst, with sewerage facilities being choked and no planned system of garbage collection,” he said.

On Tuesday, HT published a story, the first in a five-part series, on Amritsar’s performanc­e in the national rankings, taking an in-depth look at what ails its sanitation and cleanlines­s. Stating that this state of affairs as well as the Swachh Survekshan ratings undertaken under the Swachh Bharat mission would have a detrimenta­l effect on the image of the city internatio­nally, the SAD president called upon the Congress government to probe corruption in use of funds.

He also called for immediate approvals for all pending infrastruc­ture work as well as procuremen­t of more modern machinery that would be needed for cleaning and disposing garbage. “I have myself also cleaned the street on occasions to send a message to the government to maintain this prestigiou­s project but it does not seem to have had any effect on the Congress government. Garbage piles keep lying unattended, making them eyesores for visitors who come from across the globe,” he added.

It is shocking to know that the cleanlines­s around Harmandar Sahib is the

worst.

 ?? Letterschd@hindustant­imes.com ??
Letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India