Chandigarh, Mar 26 (PTI) Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday targeted the AAP government for allegedly using environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal's technique for cleaning ponds in villages, saying that his was a "failed model".

Leader of Opposition Bajwa, while speaking to reporters here, asked the state government to engage Punjab Engineer College University, Chandigarh or Thapar Institute in Patiala for their technical advice for works like cleaning of ponds in villages for recharge of water.

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"Seechewal saab is not an engineer. During our (government's time) also, some works were carried out by Seechewal and then a report was submitted that Seechewal's model is a completely failed model. Seechewal saab says if some work has to be done then my people will carry out that work. It's a failed model," Bajwa told reporters.

Noted environmentalist Seechewal, who is also the AAP Rajya Sabha MP, is known for his efforts to clean the 160-km long holy rivulet Kali Bein rivulet in Kapurthala's Sultanpur Lodhi.

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Earlier, Seechewal's name came up during the Question Hour in the ongoing budget session here.

Replying to a question, Punjab Rural Development Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said there are 173 ponds in 65 gram panchayats of Bathinda Rural district.

"Five ponds in this constituency have been developed using Seechewal, Thapar model technology. Phased work is underway to develop 16 ponds using Seechewal/Thapar technique," said the minister.

Following his reply in the House, Bajwa objected to the Seechewal model and made some remarks which were later expunged by the Speaker.

However, his remarks led to noisy scenes between Bajwa and treasury benches who supported Seechewal.

Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan asked Bajwa to once visit Sultanpur Lodhi and see his work done.

Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh sought that the leader of opposition Bajwa to apologise for his remarks.

"People do PhD on Shakespeare who did not even go to school. Those who do PhD on Baba Nanak and Bhai Vir Singh, they did not go to school. Science does not belong to anyone. I have seen the Seechewal model and it has a scientific basis," said the minister.

Bajwa then retorted, "Your chief minister fell ill after drinking water from there and he was taken to Apollo hospital. You should seek an apology. You should have told him (CM) not to go there."

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