The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of minting money from the Dadu Majra garbage dump at the cost of the residents of Chandigarh. Addressing a press conference, AAP leader Malwinder Singh Kang said it was unfortunate that BJP not only passed the 400-crore plant by undemocratic means but that Governor and Administrator Banwarilal Purohit also chose to approve these “machinations.” “All [Opposition] of them are part of the Centre’s conspiracies against Punjab and their leader in this matter is the Governor of Punjab who is playing politics every day,” he claimed.
“Dadu Majra, once a thriving community, has now become a victim of political manoeuvring at the expense of its people’s welfare. It is with great disappointment that we highlight the shameless politicisation of the issue by both the BJP and Congress parties. While they indulge in power games, the urgent matter at hand, the mounting waste crisis, continues to wreak havoc on the environment and public health. The root of the garbage problem can be traced back to the previous Congress administration, which irresponsibly outsourced waste disposal to a private company,” Kang said. Over the course of 17 years, the waste has tripled, resulting in hazardous garbage mountains that pose a grave threat to the community. Instead of taking responsibility, politicians and officials have exploited the situation for personal gain. Embezzlement of funds amounting to hundreds of crores has become the norm while people live near garbage mountains.
Both the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and legislators have failed to effectively address the crisis. Despite multiple attempts to involve different companies and inaugurate processing plants, the contamination problem persists, and financial resources are squandered. “During the 2021 elections, the people of Chandigarh, including Dadu Majra, placed their trust in the Aam Aadmi Party in the hopes of a cleaner and corruption-free city. With a majority of 14 AAP councillors, it is appalling that the BJP resorted to illegal means to seize the mayor’s role, disregarding the democratic process,” Kang added. The dangers posed by the waste dump were brought to light by the Punjab Engineering College and penalties were imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). However, Municipal officials and politicians continued awarding contracts for waste management, without results.
The AAP has also demanded an inquiry into financial mismanagement but no action has been taken due to the political affiliations. “The health, well-being, and environmental integrity of the city’s residents should be the utmost priority for all political parties involved.” Taking this and other issues such as the Panjab University affiliation row and the non-release of the Rural Development fund, the AAP “urgently” called for a special meeting of the house under the Punjab Municipal Act.