There are 150 families in the Gomtipur ward of the city who are yet to have the toilets that the administration promised to build for them in their houses six months back.
While the state's BJP government has been making every effort to project itself as 'pro-poor', it is yet to fulfil promises made during the much-touted 'Garib Kalyan Melas'.
There are 150 families in the Gomtipur ward of the city who are yet to have the toilets that the administration promised to build for them in their houses six months back.
These families received a certificate on February 16, 2010, at a Garib Kalyan Mela held at Arbudanagar, stating that the civic body will build toilets at their residences. The deadline for the same was fixed as June 30, 2010, says the certificate, which bears the signature of the AMC's additional city engineer of the east zone. However, it's been a month and a half since the deadline was skipped, and no one has turned up so far, to look into the matter.
Umesh Gehlot, a resident of Kamdar Maidan in Gomtipur, said that he visited the Gomtipur ward office to follow up on the matter, but in vain. "Every time I visit the ward office, the officials present give me the same reply - "Don't worry, we will look into it." However, no one has visited our home yet," said Gehlot.
He also said that they took up the issue with local corporators, who in turn took up the issue with the AMC administration. "We made a representation about the issue to AMC officials. However, it seems that they are not interested in issues affecting the poor," said Bhanuben Makwana, corporator from Gomtipur. Local Congress corporator Makwana termed the BJP as anti-poor, saying they are mocking the poor with false promises, in the name of organising these Garib Kalyan Melas.
She also alleged that people were under the impression that they will be given cheques to build the toilet blocks. This is but a faraway dream. The situation is quite ironical, given that the locals had been forced into attending the melas, with the lure that they will be benefited, alleged Makwana.
When contacted, additional AMC city engineer of the east zone, TD Arora, said that they had awarded a contract for around 300 toilets in Gomtipur alone. However, the NGO concerned failed to perform and also discontinued communication with the civic body. As the contractor did not reply to a couple of reminders, he was threatened with being blacklisted. "They recently approached us and have assured us that the work will be completed within one month," said Arora.
It should be noted that the civic body has spent more than
Rs1 crore on decorations for the Garib Kalyan Melas. "Instead of spending such huge amounts on pleasing their leaders, the BJP should have utilised the same for creating facilities for citizens," said Surendra Baxi, leader of the Opposition in the AMC.
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