At a time when the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) is struggling to complete the already allotted/proposed projects worth crores ahead of the Punjab assembly elections, mayor Balkar Sandhu has announced to hold another meeting of the finance and contracts committee (F&CC) next week to sanction more development works. Likely to be a result of the pressure mounted by a section of councillors, the meeting is expected to take place either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Even MLAs and councillors of the ruling Congress have been slamming the authorities for delayed projects while residents have been raising hue and cry over the failure of MC to build the roads dug by contractors for reconstruction or laying sewer lines.
As per MC officials, projects worth more than ₹300 crore have already been allotted or approved in different parts of the city.
Congress MLA (central) Surinder Dawar and councillors of central constituency also lambasted the MC officials over the delay in completing the projects during a meeting held with mayor Balkar Sandhu on Thursday.
They complained that the contractors have secured the projects moving above their capacity and now they are not able to complete the works in time.
Leader of opposition in the MC House and councillor of ward number 30, Jaspal Giaspura said that a contractor has dug roads in Hargobind Nagar and not reconstructing the same citing pending payment by MC.
{{/usCountry}}Leader of opposition in the MC House and councillor of ward number 30, Jaspal Giaspura said that a contractor has dug roads in Hargobind Nagar and not reconstructing the same citing pending payment by MC.
{{/usCountry}}“The MC should get the previous projects completed as the residents are facing a harrowing time. The tender of laying sewer lines in Amardas colony has not been allotted even as six months have elapsed after the project was approved,” he added.
District president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and councillor Harbhajan Singh Dang said, “The ruling government thinks that it will benefit them in the upcoming elections if they give nod to more development projects, but it will rather have a negative impact if they fail to complete the projects in time-bound manner.”
The opposition leaders demanded that the MC should first finish the already allotted works rather than allocating more projects.
The leader of BJP councillors, Sunita Rani, said that few roads in Gandhi Nagar area have also been ignored by the contractors and residents/shopkeepers are being troubled due to dug roads. “The councillors have to bear the brunt for the failure of MC as the public criticises their representatives,” she added.
Mayor Sandhu said directions have already been issued to the officials to speed up the development projects and prepare a roster so that residents do not face any trouble due to incomplete projects.
The officials have also been asked to take action against the contractors for delaying projects, he added.