Ahmedabad: The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Gujarat government over the lack of preparations in the state’s major cities for the monsoon season.
Addressing a press conference, state Congress Working President Himmatsinh Patel alleged that citizens are “becoming victims of government’s mismanagement as the BJP had completely failed in its pre-monsoon work”.
“Pre-monsoon work has only been on paper. In the name of development in the eight Municipal Corporations, the BJP leaders do nothing but talk, issue misleading propaganda, make fake promises, and commit scams,” he said.
He said that garbage is not properly disposed of and sewers are clogged.
“Ordinary citizens of Gujarat are becoming victims of the BJP’s failed administration. The works should be carried out before the rains by using modern equipment. Due to the negligence of the system, there is water in the houses of the residents of the city as well as in the shops of the traders. In just the first rain, the BJP’s fake development was revealed,” he said.
He noted Ahmedabad was submerged even after normal rains from 2007 to 2014 after spending more than Rs 650 crore allotted by the municipal corporation in four zones with the help of JNNURM, while Rs 250.37 crore had been spent for water drainage work between 2011 and 2014.
Despite allocation of Rs 400 crore by the UPA government in 2007-08, storm water drainage and inter-linking of various lakes have not been completed, resulting in non-discharge of water even after 24 hours of rains, he said.
In Ahmedabad, there are widespread complaints of two-wheelers and cars falling into sinkholes, he said, alleging malls and high-rise buildings in various areas get approvals without planning, and the low-lying area is flooded.
Even areas like Sindhubhavan are flooded up to a waist-high level due to the neglect, Patel said, blaming the government for the hardships that Ahmedabad residents suffer every year.
(IANS)
