Punjab BJP unit on Tuesday accused the Congress Government of putting brakes on Rs 35 crore development works initiated by Akali-BJP Government in Pathankot. “The previous SAD-BJP coalition Government in Punjab had sanctioned Rs 68 crore for the development of Pathankot, and the money was to be provided by the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB). All types of approvals and estimates had been put in place, tenders had been invited and work on some projects had even started.
However, the local Congress leaders hampered all the ongoing works leading not only in the incompletion of developmental works, but even the payments of contractors were stalled,” said Pathankot Municipal Corporation Mayor Anil Vasudeva. Vasudeva alleged that Congress leaders were hindering development and it was evident from the stalled works in Pathankot. “The Congress Government has directed the Municipal Corporation to stop the ongoing works due to which the locals are facing a whole host of problems,” he alleged. Vasudeva said that not only this, the previous SAD-BJP Government had sanctioned Rs 35 crore for the development of Pathankot but the work couldn’t be initiated owing to the imposition of election code of conduct.
However, the present Government cancelled all the funds without having a reason to do so, he added. Vasudeva said that the SAD-BJP Government, through the Sewerage Board, had got approval from the Centre under the AMRUT scheme for works worth Rs 200 crore related to water supply and sewerage in Pathankot, but the present Government is yet to start work on it. “Also, 15 tubewells, at the cost of Rs 7.25 lakhs were approved for Pathankot city and five of them are almost ready. But the residents are still waiting for drinking water as the electricity connections haven’t been provided so far,” he said. Alleging discrimination by the Congress government, Vasudeva said that the local Congress leaders were deliberately keeping the residents of Pathankot bereft of development just to satisfy their ego.