CVO inspects ‘smart vending zone’ site

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 25

The Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the Local Bodies Department inspected the site near the Canal Bridge, linking Sarabha Nagar and BRS Nagar, on Friday following the complaint against the alleged irregularities in the Municipal Corporation’s ‘smart vending zone’.

The project was mired in controversy as the MC signed an agreement with a private firm for the construction of ‘shops’ under smart vending zone on Build Operate Maintain Transfer (BOMT) model without taking the consent of the Irrigation Department, who is the actual owner of the land under the elevated Southern Bypass.

CVO Sudeep Singh Manak also called the Tehbazari wing Superintendent during the inspection, where ‘unauthorised’ construction was earlier stopped after the canal wing officials (Irrigation Department) filed a police complaint against the private firm contractor. However, the CVO refused to comment over the issue.

In his complaint, Kuldeep Singh Khaira of the Vigilant Citizens’ Forum had alleged: “Another ‘Ludhiana City Centre Scam’ is going to take place, if not stopped at this stage. The MC has authorised a private company to construct shops/halls without required NOCs. There was a plan for the construction of 190 shops (95 on each side) and 32 halls under the elevated Southern bypass as per the copy of the drawing provided by the civic body under the RTI.”

Under the information obtained under the RTI Act, the MC said the permission/NOC from the Irrigation Department, PWD and Traffic Police was unavailable.

He said: “MC sought permission from the Irrigation Department to establish smart vending zone to compliance Supreme Court orders. But the officials concerned had got the proposal passed in the meeting of the F&CC without permission from the Irrigation Department. The Supreme Court had issued guidelines for the setting up of vending zones for street venders/hawkers, but the agreement signed between the MC and the private firm is silent over the allotment criteria of shops. Till date, it has not been decided that instant market is exclusively built for street venders. The MC has taken the responsibility to eradicate any type of street vending (rehri-phari).”

According to the information, the MC signed an agreement with the firm for 20 years. The firm was empowered to collect up to Rs10,000 per month from each tenant and even if the firm wants to collect more, they can collect

CVO inspects ‘smart... 

with due permission of MC Commissioner. It is learnt that the actual owner — Irrigation Department — has been told that it would get only 15 per cent share of the income incurred by the MC from the smart vending zone.

Examines two other sites

The CVO also inspected the private flats’ site at Ishar Nagar on Gill Road, Ludhiana. Earlier, Kuldeep Singh Khaira had complained to the Local Bodies Department against the construction of private flats by allegedly misrepresenting the facts in the building plan. He had sought action against the firm for allegedly violating norms.In other two pending complaints, the CVO also visited a factory site and a sweet shop’s workshop in the city, an official told.