Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today formed an exclusive Solid Waste Management Authority to administer the functioning of all proposed 8 solid waste management clusters in the state. He also fixed deadline of December 2015 for completion of this unique statewide project.Presided over review meeting of solid waste management project accompanied by Local Government Minister Mr. Anil Joshi and Revenue Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia, Deputy Chief Minister finalized green cover norms besides giving nod to engage sufficient manpower to expedite the project. Mr. Badal asked Secretary Local Government and CEO PMIDC to ensure mandatory and adequate green cover norms. He said boundary walls of dumping sites should not be less than 15 feet along with green inside and outside green belts around the sites.
The Deputy CM also directed the authorities to implement and initiate the project in given time frame as this unique and prestigious project would also be further implemented in villages too. Mr. Badal also gave nod to the proposed appointment of requisite staff including Project Director, Assitant Project Director, Executive Engineers, Sub pisional Officers at cluster level and other manpower in newly established authority for implementation of project in true spirit. Badal asked Local Government Department to expedite the work in all 8 clusters where in 137 urban local bodies would lift 4065 tonnes of garbage daily by ensuring well-mannered door-to-door collection. Mr. Badal also finalized the centralized payment mechanism at cluster level, from where the payments would be drawn from dedicated fund.Mr. Badal also gave strict directions to maintain cleanliness, green cover norms, dress code, covered vehicles and rickshaws in which garbage to be lifted and their scientifically land filling.
Apprising Deputy CM about current status of project Mr. J. M. Balamurgam Secretary Local Government cum CEO PMIDC said that Bathinda cluster would become fully operational for scientific collection of garbage and its processing by the mid of next year. He said that a chunk of 20 acres land for processing unit has been earmarked on Mansa Road. He said that formalities for Ferozepur cluster has been completed and physical work on this project would initiate very soon. He informed that by October this ongoing physical work in Ludhiana would be streamlined, whereas in Amristar the physical work would be allotted soon as the tenders have been floated.Secretary Local Bodies Mr. Ashok Gupta informed that the project was on advanced stage of initiation at Mohali since GMADA has started the process of 50 acres land acquisition while the lands would be identified at Pathankot and Patiala very soon. He said that by the end of next year the four clusters would become fully operational and the remaining would become functional partially.Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Secretary to Deputy CM Mr. P.S. Aujla, Special Principal Secretary to Deputy CM Mr Mavesh Singh Sidhu and Mr. Rahul Tiwari.