No compromise on ensuring clean and hygienic cities: Sidhu

Punjab tourism and local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today reviewed the projects being run by various agencies as part of the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan in the urban areas of the state.
He said the state government would not compromise on ensuring clean and hygienic conditions in the urban areas of the state.
Addressing the representatives of various companies which are running projects in different clusters, he said that he wants healthy competition in this sector to provide better services to the urban population.
He said that the work being carried out by the companies would be assessed and those performing well would be given further chance to work on the projects, while those tinkering with the cleanliness arrangements would not be spared.

Sindhu instructed the departmental officials to spent every single penny, received under Swachh Bharat Mission, on ensuring sanitary conditions in the urban areas.
The minister reviewed project of each cluster and ordered to continue successful ones, an official spokesman said.

He directed to cancel agreements with those companies who have yet to start work or whose performance is unsatisfactory.
Sidhu said successful projects being run in Delhi and other cities of the country and rooted for the implementation of same model in Punjab.
Reviewing the process from gathering waste to its processing in plant, the minister asked the representatives of companies to bring to his notice any problem they encounter.

Terming the ensuring of clean and green environment in urban areas as "very significant issue", Sidhu warned that officers found negligent would have to face action.
The Local government minister has presided over a meeting with commissioners of all the 10 municipal corporations of the state and reviewed the arrangements with regard to smooth functioning of solid waste management projects and ensuring clean and hygienic look for the cities and towns.
He said that the urban areas are facing the problem of clogged sewerages which results in stagnant water on the streets.
Instructing the officers, he said that the remedy to this problem must be found before the onset of monsoon.

As part of a solution, he batted for the induction of ultra modern super suction machines.
Sidhu said that these machines would be used on priority basis in 5 major cities namely-Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala and Bathinda which constitutes more than 40 per cent population of the state so as to ensure that the population living in these does not have to face the problem.