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Ludhiana MC green signals 170 proposals at F&CC meeting
The proposals which were given the green signal by Ludhiana MC include the allocation of ₹9.86 crore for state of the art sensor based Adaptive Traffic Control System at 42 intersections of the city, ₹15 crore project of relaying of synthetic track and construction of new basketball stadium in Guru Nanak Stadium
Over 170 proposals got the nod during the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) meeting of the municipal corporation held here on Saturday.
The proposals which were given the green signal include the allocation of ₹9.86 crore for state of the art sensor based Adaptive Traffic Control System at 42 intersections of the city, ₹15 crore project of relaying of synthetic track and construction of new basketball stadium in Guru Nanak Stadium, allocation of ₹5.5 crore for constructing an office at Rose Garden under the World Bank- funded urban water and waste water management project for monitoring 24x7 water supply and ₹3 crore for the purchase of two infrared recycling based mobile machines for patchworks of potholes.
However, the mayor raised an objection to the purchase of 50 tractors to be included in the fleet of vehicles of the municipal corporation. He was also critical of the seven anti-smog guns purchased recently for ₹1.5 crore, saying the guns serve no purpose.
Besides, approval was given for allocating ₹2.3 crore for renovation and repair work of MC workshop at Hambran Road and fire brigade building near Lakkar Bazar. Over ₹84 lakh were approved for the purchase of two tipplers. The MC officials also gave a nod to ₹2.5 crore for laying of 600mm (NP4) pipe for storm sewer at NH- 44 from Sherpur Chowk to Dholewal Chowk.
The F&CC meeting was held after a gap of four months. The previous meeting was held on September 17 last year, while another meeting that was held on December 23 remained inconclusive due to a tussle between senior deputy mayor Sham Sunder Malhotra and medical officer Dr Vipul Malhotra over revision of charges to be paid to the cow shed at Tibba Road.
Even before the arrival of officials, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Gurpreet Singh Gogi and Madanlal Bagga reached at the mayor’s camp office and held a meeting with MC officials and mayors regarding the pending projects. Gogi also demanded that the salaries of SDO hired on contract should be raised from ₹25,000 to ₹40,000.
Besides, Shiromani Akali Dal district president and councillor from Ward 46 Harbhajan Singh Dang reached the mayor office with his set of demands.
The meeting, including MC commissioner Shena Aggarwal, mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, senior deputy mayor Sham Sunder Arora, deputy mayor Sarabjit Kaur and other MC officials lasted for three hours.
The civic authorities were to deliberate over 400 proposals, including 199 pending proposals. Out of the 400, 55 proposals involved initiatives to be taken under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), solid waste management programme, world bank project and programmes under 15th pay commission, which would not pose any kind of financial burden on the MC coffer.
Besides, 132 proposals under the councillor quota were also passed during the F&CC with a rider that it would be reviewed by a tendering committee to check the balance of annual funds allocated to each councillor. However, 217 proposals were kept by the officials for review.
MC commissioner Aggarwal said, “we have taken the decision on some of the projects and the remaining have been kept for review and a decision will be taken on it accordingly.”
Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said that all the work orders and estimates presented by the councillors during the F&CC meeting have been passed. The list of pending proposals will be compiled by next week and essential work would be carried out on priority basis.
