Indian Express 08.01.2010
PAU’s snub to MC: ‘Pot calling the kettle black’
For the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, disconnecting sewerage connection of Punjab Agricultural University could well prove to be an expensive act for it has been learnt that the LMC owes PAU Rs 10 lakh.
Notable here is that LMC disconnected one of three sewerage connections of PAU recently on the plea that the institute owed LMC Rs 7 lakh.
Dr Gurkirpal Singh, estate officer-cum-chief engineer, PAU, when contacted, says, “We are ready to pay any kind of outstanding amount to LMC but for this, the LMC has to send us a proper bill. We have been demanding a bill from LMC which will then be processed by PAU’s audit department and payment will be made accordingly. How can we pay an amount for which we have no bill.”
Dr Singh adds, “We have been requesting for a bill in the past too. At the same time, LMC owes us Rs 10 lakhs and this amount is pending since 1990, when the LMC dug up some area in PAU for laying its main sewerage. If the LMC wants its dues cleared then it should learn to pay up also. We have been writing to them in the past about these outstanding amount but the LMC prefers to keep mum on this issue.”
Dr Singh says, “PAU does not need sewerage of water system from LMC as we have our own system. We clean our own water, which is then used in our fields. The amount that the LMC is talking about is for 52 single room flats which we used to give to the senior research fellows. We have asked for details of this amount also for in early ‘90s, sewerage and water charges had been waived off by the government and our bill was also a part of this waiver. Now, how come this bill is still outstanding? LMC needs to clear the air over the matter.”
