Ludhiana: MC House clears 51 civic projects amid row over voting procedure

The Ludhiana municipal corporation General House cleared 51 agenda items, including 34 listed and 17 table agendas, including the controversial ₹82-crore mechanical sweeping project, a ₹1,400-crore solid waste management project and a one-year extension for 1,208 outsourced sanitation workers, amid a row over the voting procedure on Monday

The Ludhiana municipal corporation General House cleared 51 agenda items, including 34 listed and 17 table agendas, including the controversial ₹82-crore mechanical sweeping project, a ₹1,400-crore solid waste management project and a one-year extension for 1,208 outsourced sanitation workers, amid a row over the voting procedure on Monday.

Councillors protesting during the civic body’s General House meeting in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/ht)

Opposition councillors alleged that they were not given a proper opportunity to register their dissent, while mayor Inderjit Kaur maintained that objections had been recorded in writing and the motions were passed with majority support.

Congress councillor and MC finance panel member Gaurav Bhatti alleged that the mayor asked only councillors supporting the proposals to raise their hands, after which the agenda items were declared passed. He said that those opposed to the proposals were not asked to raise their hands to register their dissent. He has threatened to approach the Punjab and Haryana high court challenging the voting procedure in court.

The ₹82-crore mechanical sweeping project, which proposes mechanised sweeping and deep cleaning of roads, including litter picking and washing of roads and footpaths, has faced opposition over its cost and necessity. Bhatti has questioned the financial outlay and the project’s viability, particularly when the MC already has mechanical sweeping machines. The proposal had also triggered a protest at an earlier meeting, when Congress councillors brought sacks of counterfeit currency notes to symbolise the proposed expenditure.

The ₹1,400-crore integrated solid waste management project is another major point of contention. It proposes handing over the city’s waste management operations, including door-to-door garbage collection, transportation, segregation and processing, to a private agency. Opposition councillors have questioned the project’s cost and financial implications, while sanitation workers have protested against the proposal, fearing that outsourcing the work could threaten their livelihoods.

The extension of services for 1,208 outsourced sanitation workers has also drawn scrutiny. Opposition councillors have questioned whether the workers listed on the MC’s rolls are actually reporting for duty and carrying out sanitation work across city wards. The controversy prompted demands for ward-wise lists and verification of the workers’ deployment.

The MC commissioner had directed officials to display the lists at prominent locations in the wards and share them with councillors, but the opposition has maintained that the workers’ actual presence and attendance must be verified.

BJP district president and Ward 62 councillor Sunil Moudgil also questioned the voting procedure, alleging that councillors opposed to the proposals were not properly counted. He said that BJP councillors would protest outside the MC office and the mayor’s residence against the manner in which the proceedings were conducted.

Rejecting the allegations, mayor Inderjit Kaur said, “The councillors were given an opportunity to submit their objections in writing. A total of 37 councillors had objected to two agenda items, while 41 councillors supported the motions. The proposals have been passed in accordance with established rules.”