Ludhiana: Councillor moves HC over MC’s sweeping, waste mgmt tenders

Bhatti, a member of the civic body’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) and councillor from Ward 26, has raised questions over the procedures followed in clearing the projects, citing the need for transparency, financial accountability and adherence to legal requirements

Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti has approached the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking judicial scrutiny of the civic body’s tendering and approval processes for its mechanical sweeping and solid waste management projects.

The matter is scheduled to come up before a Division Bench on October 28. (HT)

Bhatti, a member of the civic body’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) and councillor from Ward 26, has raised questions over the procedures followed in clearing the projects, citing the need for transparency, financial accountability and adherence to legal requirements. The matter is scheduled to come up before a Division Bench on October 28.

The two projects under scrutiny comprise a mechanical sweeping tender worth ₹81.54 crore and solid waste management tenders valued at ₹1,164 crore, taking their combined value to approximately ₹1,246 crore.

In his petition, Bhatti has sought a detailed examination of the projects’ necessity, estimated expenditure, availability of funds, technical reports and contractual conditions, arguing that civic contracts involving substantial public expenditure must undergo due legal and financial scrutiny before approval.

The petition also calls for an examination of the proceedings of the municipal corporation’s General House meeting, including the minutes, voting records and other relevant documents. The tendering process and the draft service agreement have likewise been questioned, with Bhatti seeking scrutiny of their legal and financial propriety.

Bhatti said his move was intended to ensure transparency in the civic body’s functioning and protect public funds, rather than target any individual. He maintained that any suspected violation of rules or financial irregularity should be investigated impartially and dealt with in accordance with the law.

The councillor further argued that seeking official records, questioning administrative decisions and pursuing legal remedies were legitimate responsibilities of elected representatives seeking to safeguard the public interest.