MC General House meeting convened on November 18

After more than 10 months in office, Mayor Vaneet Dhir is set to preside over his second General House meeting on November 18, a point repeatedly raised by the opposition, that has criticised the limited number of meetings held until now.

Dhir took charge as mayor on January 10, and since then, one General House meeting has been convened. That meeting, held in March at Red Cross Bhawan, was marked by uproar and dissent. Although proceedings then formally began after 3 pm, the session wrapped up in under an hour, with all agenda items pushed through in less than 45 seconds amid deafening protests inside the hall.

The mayor had then acknowledged the severe infrastructural challenges confronting the MC. "Manpower and machinery-related problems are there, and sewage has taken a 'vikral roop' (serious form). To address this, we will undertake cleaning of the main sewage lines using super-suction machines. The MC will procure eight grab machines and eight jetting machines. Additionally, 56 km of main lines will be cleaned using a road-sweeping machine to maintain cleanliness on city roads," Dhir had stated.

A total of 85 agendas are slated to be tabled during the meeting. Among the key proposals is the engagement of a consultant to develop world-class urban street design in Jalandhar. The MC will also discuss the formation of a city-level committee to guide and oversee this urban development initiative.

The agenda also mentioned that Jalandhar, being one of the prominent cities of Punjab with growing economic and industrial potential, requires a robust and modern infrastructure to cater to the needs of its citizens and visitors alike. In this regard, the vision is to transform some of the key roads in the city to world-class urban roads.

Another agenda mentioned that for ensuring uninterrupted water supply, Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of all 636 tube-wells in the city should be outsourced due to its limited in-house capacity. The current O&M contract is nearing expiry, and fresh estimates were prepared accordingly.