Phagwara MC discusses cow cess, policy on stray dogs

The Phagwara Municipal Corporation on Wednesday conducted its fifth House meeting — its first to conclude peacefully since the formation of the newly elected civic body.

The previous four meetings had ended in uproar amid allegations and counter-allegations exchanged among the ruling party councillors, the Mayor, and the Opposition.

In contrast, Wednesday’s session proceeded calmly as the House took up several key proposals. Among the major items were the imposition of a cow cess of 10 paise per litre on petrol and diesel, an increase in cow cess on two-wheelers, four-wheelers, and commercial vehicles, and the issuance of notices to plot owners, including penalties for non-compliance.

The corporation also discussed the formulation of a stringent policy to manage stray animals and dogs. Various road repair and upgrade works were listed for review as well. Presiding over the meeting, Mayor Ram Paul Uppal along with Deputy Mayors Tej Pal Basra and Vikki Sood, and councillor Padam Dev Sudhir assured the House that the civic body would work impartially for the development of all 50 wards.

Mayor Uppal shared details of ongoing and planned works, including projects under streetlighting (₹1.75 crore), road works (₹5 crore), public roads (₹5 crore), heritage and park streetlighting (₹5.80 crore), and DMPC works (₹1.50 crore).

Despite these assurances, residents continue to voice concerns, noting that previous commitments have not led to visible improvements on the city’s damaged and uneven roads.

Congress councillors Sanjeev Bugga, Jatinder Vermani, Bunty Walia, Munish Parbhakar, and Sushil Maini expressed hope that the meeting’s constructive tone will translate into concrete development efforts on the ground.