Guru Amar Dass Market at Khanna facing lack of basic facilities

MC Khanna collected 94.60 Lakh but did not spend single penny to facilitate the public

Khanna, March 3, 2015” Potholes in parking compound road, unhygienic toilets and lack of potable water facility at Guru Amar Dass market is a clear cut picture of the poorest public facilities provided by Municipal Council at common public places. Inspite of huge collections, Nagar Council authorities totally turned blind eye towards basic public facilities at Guru Amar Dass market at Khanna.

PD Bansal, President, Lok Sewa Club, said at a press conference that common public places in the city are facing a complete lack of basic facilities because the maintenance of these places is directly under the control and on the mercy of Municipal Council. Similar to Main Bus Stand Khanna, Guru Amar Dass market is also an example of negligence of the local municipal authorities, he added.

Bansal said there is only single car parking for the visitors who come for shopping  to Main Bazaar, Subhash Bazaar, Karnail Singh Road and Guru Amar Dass Market which results a huge rush at the car parking. Nagar Council issues parking contract every year through tender system and earns a considerable amount from the said contract. The Municipal Council collected a sum of Rs.94.60 Lakh from the parking contract during last five years but they did not spend any amount to facilitate the visitors as well as general public. During these five years, the authorities never re-carpeted the parking roads, renovated the toilets and have not installed any water cooler. For hot summer season there is no arrangement of cold drinking water and hence public is bound to shell out minimum Rs 20 to purchase drinking water bottles.

In rainy season the situation turns to worst: Due to damaged premix carpeting layer of the parking roads, the parking compound has turned into muddy potholes and it worsens especially in rainy days. Visitors pay to park their vehicles but there is no facility and people can be seen condemning worst arrangements of municipal council at public places. It is very much clear that the Municipal Council authorities are diverting the parking income to other projects, rather, providing facilities to the payees, he believed.

Bansal maintained that the matters concerned to lack of basic facilities at public places would be brought in to the notice of High Court through Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after completing legal formalities because local administration did not consider these public issues important as required.

As per an RTI Information, Municipal Council earned Rs. 94.60 Lakh through parking contract within a period of five years (01-04-2009 to 31-03-2014). As per another information obtained under RTI Act, Municipal Council did not spend any amount to provide public facilities at the site.