MOHALI: Mohali residents witnessing coming up of mega projects are awaiting authorities concerned to erect social infrastructure like community centres, auditoriums, working-women hostels, old-age homes, children’s home besides adequate water and uninterrupted power supply, solid waste management and better transportation facilities.
Even the study carried out by the town and country planning organization, ministry of urban development (government of India), has assessed Mohali as a city that lacks civic infrastructure, including water and power supply, solid waste management, sewerage, roads and transport. It was carried out to assess the growth of construction activities and requirement of infrastructure facilities in the new township.
According to a senior GMADA official speaking on condition of anonymity, basic problem is of funds. ‘While construction of roads and hospital is being undertaken, projects like working-women hostel and old-age home were discussed but there is not much progress and will take time to start,’ the official revealed, adding, ‘but we are working on construction of around 3000 houses for the economically weaker sections.’
Venting dissatisfaction at the situation, Mohali Consumer Protection Federation president PS Virdi said citizens have been voicing their demands since long, but their pleas have gone unheard.
Seconding his allegations, media secretary of Citizen Welfare Council Phase-X, Ranjivan Singh, added that already existing infrastructure like community centers have been occupied by police and judicial authorities. ‘Punjab commandoes are occupying a community centre in phase-XI, a police station is located at that in sector-71, women cell of police is being run from another centre in phase-VI, while judicial complex is situated at that in phase 3BI,’ he cited. Moreover, GMADA has leased out the phase Habitat
Centre at phase-X to Indian Institute of Nano-technology,he continued.
‘There is no proper place to hold get-togethers or to shelter elderly people or children rescued from child labour as required place is not there,’ he rued.
Source:The Times Of India