Ludhiana: NGO seeks civic body’s clarification over location of new water management office

The tender for the project was recently issued by the municipal corporation, with the technical bid opening scheduled for March 26, 2024

City-based NGO Council of Engineers has lodged a complaint with the municipal commissioner, seeking clarification on the ambiguity surrounding the site location of the upcoming Urban Water and Waste Water Management Office at the Industrial Area.

Addressing the issue, MC superintending engineer Sanjay Kanwar said, “It was the typing error, we will change the location in the tenders and date of bid has also been changed to April 25, 2024”. (HT File)

The tender for the project was recently issued by the municipal corporation, with the technical bid opening scheduled for March 26, 2024.

The complaint arises from conflicting information regarding the project’s site location. While the tender specifies the location as the “Industrial Area”, a copy circulating on social media mentions the site as being near the Rose Garden, which the NGO contests is a green space that cannot be repurposed without proper authorisations.

Council of Engineers highlights that previous proposals had suggested building the office on a plot, which is a part of the Rose Garden according to the Ludhiana Master Plan.

They claimed that the master plan, prepared under statutory provisions outlined in The Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, emphasises the importance of orderly development and adherence to public interest.

Council of Engineers president Kapil Arora said, “The complaint underscores the legal ramifications of deviating from the Master Plan, citing relevant sections of the Act that regulate land use and development. It emphasises the need for transparency and adherence to environmental norms, noting that parks like the Rose Garden cannot be repurposed without legal and environmental considerations.”

Despite raising objections in the past and submitting them to the civic body, the Council of Engineers members maintained that no clarification has been provided regarding the project’s location.

They further expressed concern over the unavailability of tender details on the MC website and the lack of information regarding the exact site of the proposed building.

Addressing the issue, MC superintending engineer Sanjay Kanwar said, “It was the typing error, we will change the location in the tenders and date of bid has also been changed to April 25, 2024”.