The North News
Chandigarh/Morinda, July 30
Punjab’s Local Government Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh ordered the immediate suspension of two Municipal Council employees in Morinda on Wednesday after a surprise inspection revealed widespread sanitation lapses. Junior Engineer Naresh Kumar and Sanitary Inspector Varinder Singh were suspended for negligence in duty following public complaints and visible mismanagement in waste collection during an early morning inspection by the minister and Morinda MLA Dr. Charanjit Singh.
The inspection, which covered Ward Nos. 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, Chunni Road near the Rest House, Purana Bassi Road, and Shiv Nanda School Road, revealed household waste scattered across multiple areas and poor upkeep of public spaces. Calling out the lack of accountability and deteriorating sanitary conditions, Dr. Ravjot Singh also ordered the transfer of Executive Officer Parwinder Singh Bhatti of the Morinda Municipal Council.
Residents of Wards 5 and 6 raised long-pending issues of a blocked sewage system that had caused stagnant water to accumulate on roads, affecting daily life. In response, the Minister issued a formal notice to Rajiv Kapoor, Executive Engineer of the Sewage Board, instructing him to clear all blocked pipelines within a month. A follow-up visit has been scheduled to assess progress.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban) Pooja Seyal Grewal, SDM Morinda Sukhpal Singh, Urban Area President Navdeep Singh Tony, and other local representatives were present during the visit.
The actions come amid increasing public scrutiny of municipal services in small towns and reflect the government’s push for accountability at the grassroots level.
