Improve garbage plant functioning or will shut it down: Mayor

The Mayor said in case it does not work,the plant management would be served termination notice.

The controversy over the Garbage Processing Plant has been going on since it was set up. Over the past few weeks the Congress and BJP have been politicking over the issue.

The Mayor said since the plant was set up,no Congress councillor was in favour of starting its operations.

“It was the then Governor who was not ready to talk. Congress Mayor Pardeep Chhabra’s name was not included in the invitation card. Chhabra had said that the plant should be inspected first and only then green signal to open it be given. But the higher officials organised the inaugural function. No Congress councillor was invited,” he said.

Pali said it was the BJP that had supported the inauguration when Akali Dal councillor Harjinder Kaur was sitting on the Mayor’s chair.

The inauguration of the plant in 2008 had generated controversy with the then Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gen S F Rodrigues (retd) and the Congress being at loggerheads over the issue.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal said the Congress took the decision to set up the plant to ensure proper disposal of garbage.

“We were not in favour of inaugurating the plant till tests were conducted. Who inaugurated the plant? The corporation was bypassed. Now,they are making a noise. At that time,both the then Mayor and I were criticised. Now,when the plant is not working,they (BJP) are using the issue for political gains. We do not want to politicise the issue.”

The protest by the BJP outside the community centre as Bansal arrived was also criticised. The party had on Saturday distributed pamphlets raising questions about the setting up and functioning of the plant and also foreign tour by Congress councillors.

Meanwhile,BJP city unit general secretary Arun Sood said the Congress was trying to mislead the people.

“Everyone knows who set up the plant. It is their councillors who went on a study tour on the plant management’s expense. The Congress did not attend the inauguration due to their personal differences with the former Administrator. We are ready to give a solution for smooth functioning of the plant. Shutting down the plant is not the option,” he said.