Ludhiana MC panel divided over ₹1,400cr solid waste tender project

Mayor says proposal secured required majority and will go to MC House; Cong councillor Bhatti opposes move as two members were absent from the meeting, threatens legal action

A dispute has emerged over the clearance of the proposed ₹1,408.66-crore solid waste management project by the municipal corporation’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC), after Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti questioned whether the tender could be cleared in the absence of two panel members.

The Congress councillor also raised concerns over the impact of the proposed project on workers currently engaged in door-to-door garbage collection. (HT)

The five-member committee met on Thursday to take up 22 agenda items that had been kept pending at Monday’s meeting, including the tender for the proposed solid waste management project. Only three members — mayor Inderjit Kaur, Bhatti and Aam Aadmi Party councillor Yuvraj Sidhu — were present at the meeting.Senior deputy mayor Rakesh Prashar and deputy mayor Prince Joshan did not attend the meeting.

The mayor said the tender had secured the required majority and would be placed before the MC House for consideration.

Bhatti, however, disputed the clearance, saying two members of the five-member committee were absent. He warned that he would challenge the decision in court if the tender was taken to the House without being cleared by the committee with a clear majority.

“I am firmly opposed to this costly solid waste management tender and my clear position is that this tender should be cancelled. In my view, implementation of this tender may impose an additional financial burden of crores of rupees upon the municipal corporation. Keeping in view the present financial position of the MC, it should also be clearly established from where the funds required for making such a large-scale and long-term payment will be arranged,” Bhatti said.

The Congress councillor also raised concerns over the impact of the proposed project on workers currently engaged in door-to-door garbage collection.

“Poor and labour families depended on the existing arrangement for their livelihood and that the civic body will not face a long-term financial liability of ₹1,408.66 crore under the current system. Two members were not present in the meeting, so how can they claim majority? If the agenda is taken to the House I will contest it in court,” Bhatti said.

“Taking away the livelihood of these families and introducing such a large and expensive tender is a matter of serious concern for me. The livelihood of approximately 15,000 poor, Dalit and labour families must also be taken into consideration while taking such a major decision,” he added.