Assembly panel raps PPCB over city’s pollution

Ludhiana: Taking stock of ongoing projects, members of the Punjab assembly local bodies monitoring committee on Friday rapped Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) officials for high pollution levels in the city. PPCB officials were asked about the status of common effluent treatment plants and whether these were actually working.
The officials of PPCB were directed to check whether the industries are discharging untreated water in the ground directly.
The members reviewed the Smart City projects in which they sought the status of UID number plates. They also reviewed Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project.
A local-level committee has been formed in which MLA Kulwant Sidhu is the chairman, and MLAs Madan Lal Bagga, Gurpreet Gogi and Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina have been appointed members. These MLAs will seek reports from various departments on regular intervals to be submitted to the assembly commitee.
The 13-member committee also visited various sites where projects are undergoing. They went to Malhar Road where nearby shopkeepers again raised the issue of lesser parking space.
The committee also visited the City Centre site in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar where MLA Gogi proposed to utilise this abandon place for establishing a medical college and hospital. The city center project had come to a halt in 2007 following a legal dispute. The firm which had been involved in the construction had moved court and then in arbitration in 2018. The company had made Rs 1,200 crore claim which has now reached Rs 1,600 crore. Gogi proposed that they should talk to the firm and find some solution. The chairman the committee Jagrup Singh assured to take up this issue with the government.
The members were shown the carcass utilisation plant which could not be brought to use due to resistance by farmers in Noorpur village. The committee directed the officials to bring this plant in use. They also visited Transport Nagar, Shivaji Nagar and Gill Road.
The MC officials are asked to submit a report about plantation done in the past 5 years. They have also demanded a report about LED street light projects from the MC officials. These reports will be submitted to sub-committee members.
Local bodies minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar also participated in the meeting.