Kapurthala council fails to remove slums
I WILL SPEAK TO THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER. THE REMOVAL OF SLUMS IS ON OUR AGENDA AND THESE WILL BE DEMOLISHED SOON. KULDEEP SINGH CHANDI, ADC (General) › IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT FOR US TO EVEN ACCESS OUR OFFICE (NEAR THE SLUMS) WITH STAGNANT WATER AND STINK ALL-PERVASIVE. SAVITA RANI, child development project officer
KAPURTHALA: The Kapurthala municipal council has failed to remove 30 slums constructed outside Sukhjit Ashram on the Railway Road, for more than a decade. Hundreds of migrants from different states are living in these slums.
The dwellers do not even have basic civic amenities and toilet facilities to perform their ablutions, but they have electricity connections and direct to home (DTH) dishes to watch television for their entertainment. Sources allege that the power being used is stolen, but the authorities seem helpless in tackling the issue.
The area stinks and it is very difficult to even pass by the area. This is even as the social security office and the child development project office are also situated within the premises of Sukhjit Ashram. Water remains stagnant on the road opposite to the slums, turning it into slush and drainage system has remained a luxury.
Child development project officer Savita Rani said it had become difficult for them to even access their office with stagnant water and stink all-pervasive and they end up using a vehicle to enter their work area.
“The issue has been taken up with the authorities and an inspection is done once a month, but the slums are not removed,” she said. Superintendent at the council Randip Singh Waraich said they were aware of the issue and the encroachments would be removed soon. “We will soon send notices demanding the area be vacated,” he said.
ADC (general) Kuldeep Singh Chandi said that he would soon speak to the deputy commissioner and strict action would be taken. Commenting on illegal electricity connections, Chandi said he had already requested the power department to disconnect the electric connections of slums using the facility illegally.