Despite having two sitting councillors, Sharda Gupta and Manvir Kaur Gill, with Gill having served as the MC president for more than four years, residents of Sector 12 claim that the councillors have not fulfilled their promises till date. The residents said the sector is worst hit so far as development works are concerned.

From the pending construction work of a dispensary, public toilet and a war memorial to the problem of stray dogs, the sector gives a picture of an utter neglect. Newsline interacts with residents to know more.

Residentspeak
Ashwani Sakhuja, a shopkeeper said, “It has been more than 12 years now since the market of the sector was constructed, but there are no public toilets till date. The market also lacks the supply of fresh water.
The shopkeepers have to ask the nearby residents to provide them drinking water in summers.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by another resident of the sector Renu Chopra. She said, “Despite having two councillors, the crime rate in the sector has increased manifold due to absence of guards in the ward. Water-logging in the sector has also been a major cause of concern.”
According to Mukesh Gulati, the area of the sector which falls under the jurisdiction of Manvir Kaur Gill has shown satisfactory growth, but the condition is worse in the area falling under Sharda Gupta.
“Gupta has never interacted with the residents after her election to the post,” said Gulati.
As for Pawan Kumar, a shopkeeper, “We are very disappointed that the councillors never fulfilled their promises. Parking in the market has been a cause of concern, but till date nothing has been done about it.” He further added that the streetlights were always non-functional in the sector.

RWA
Talking to Newsline, the president of the Sector-12 Welfare Association, Colonel Sham Singh said, “The councillors have not carried out any development work in the sector for the past many years. We want workers and not politicians for the development of the sector. The construction work of the War Memorial has been pending since long due to shortage of funds. It is now inviting stray dogs. The dispensary that was to come up in the sector is still waiting for a go-ahead.”
Singh further added that it is the high time that welfare associations of various sectors should be included in the quality check on the works done by councillors.

Rival demands accountability
Lilly Bawa, who is contesting the MC elections as an independent candidate said, “Power with no responsibility is the phrase for the sitting councillors. They should be accountable to the residents of their sectors. A system needs to be introduced so that the non-performing councillors can be thrown out of the council.”
She further added that from the problem of stray cattle, filthy entrances to the sector to the problem of water logging, the residents have been at the receiving end.