Badal releases Rs 316 crore for 40 MGD potable water in Mohali

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had already floated a tender to invite bids from interested contractual agencies to execute Phase V and VI of the Kajauli waterworks scheme within three years. While according a formal nod to the project in September 2010,the Department of Housing and Urban Development had decided that under Phase V and VI of the scheme,only single pipelines of double size/ capable of supplying 40 MGD water would be laid instead of two separate pipelines of 20 MGD-water capacity each as were laid in the currently functional four phases.

Work on the laying of pipelines under Phase V and VI and construction of a pumping station at Kajauli will be undertaken immediately,in view of the land being available,while acquisition of land for the water treatment plant and pumping station at Mohali will be initiated simultaneously.

Badal disclosed that to ensure all-round planned and integrated development of Greater Mohali,a high-powered committee headed by the Chief Secretary and comprising the Deputy Commissioner,GMADA Chief Administrator,Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Punjab Small Industries Export Corporation MD has been constituted.

Besides sanctioning Rs 2.21 crore for the construction of the village link road from Jagatpura to Bakarpur,the CM also disbursed Rs 2 crore development grants to 40 villages,the grievances and demands of which he also listened to and solved on the occasion. Later,he visited Motemajra village to inspect the site of a pond spread over 13 acres of land,which he announced would be developed as a tourist spot.

Protest exposes security lapse

A protest by a handful of unemployed linemen exposed the security lapse in the CM’s Sangat Darshan. No sooner had the CM concluded his media interaction,over a dozen protesters who were hiding inside the pandal started raising slogans against state government. Caught by surprise,the CM was even overheard expressing displeasure over the incident. Put on their toes,the district police,led by SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar,acted quickly to pull the protesters out. In the process,even a few cops in civil dress faced the police wrath. Renting the air with anti-government slogans,the protesters,despite turbans of some getting tumbled,continued their protest till they were whisked away in two police vehicles to Sohana police station but not before struggling hard with the cops. Punjab Unemployed Linemen Union leader Soma Singh said the protest was part of their statewide plan to gherao the CM wherever he goes. “We will also gherao the CM and not let him speak at Maghi Mela in Muktsar on Friday,” he announced. Later the police booked 14 protesters for obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty under Sections 186 and 353 of the IPC.