Though part of MC, sanitation in Budhlada village takes a beating

BUDHLADA (MANSA): The merger of Budhlada village in the Budhlada municipal council has done no good for the residents, it seems. The sanitation in the village instead has taken a beating ever since the merger and one can easily spot heaps of garbage and blocked drains.

The village, which has more than 10,000 residents, was much cleaner when it was a panchayat, claim residents. At that time the panchayat used to hire sweepers to take care of cleanliness. The village is yet to get a sewerage line. The villagers are demanding from the municipal council to deploy sweepers as foul smell was already emanating from garbage heaps across the village.

Having a population of more than 30,000, Budhlada town consists of 13 wards and it will have around 10 more wards, which will carved out of the village. The judicial court complex, SDM office, bus stand, tehsil office, government subdivisional hospital fall within the boundary of the village.

“Before the merger, our sar- panch used to take responsibility to keep the village clean. Now the sarpanch claims that he cannot interfere as the area is under the municipal council. The sweepers now too are demanding that they should be hired by the council for the job,” said Darshan Singh of Budhlada village.

Executive officer Surinder Garg, who has been given the additional charge of Budhlada, is yet to join office. “I have been given the additional charge of Budhlada, but I have not yet joined. I will definitely look into the matter and deploy some sweepers to the village soon. About seven to ten new wards will be created from the village,” Garg said.