F&CC clears major Rs 38-cr proposal for repair of sewer lines in 26 critical wards in Ludhiana

The Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation, in its meeting held on Tuesday at the Mayor's camp office in Ludhiana, cleared a major Rs 38-crore proposal for desilting and repair of sewer lines in 26 critical wards. The work has been allotted to Inderjit Bajaj Company.

Of the 199-point agenda placed before the committee, around 100 were approved, while some were deferred. The proposal for giving a one-year extension to an SDO of the MC’s electricity wing was rejected.

The meeting was attended by Mayor Inderjit Kaur, MC Commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta, Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Parashar and Deputy Mayor Prince Johar, along with other senior officials.

Under the approved Rs 38-crore plan, desilting of sewer lines, repair of damaged pipes and replacement of sewer covers would be carried out. The works would be executed using hi-tech super suction machines based on German technology, officials said.

The maintenance is planned for a period of two years and will be monitored zone-wise.

However, the decision has raised questions within civic circles. Sources said there was a lack of clarity on which specific sewer lines would be taken up under the project, especially as some stretches had already been desilted barely a year ago. Concerns had also been raised over the need for transparency in identifying priority areas and avoiding duplication of work.

Meanwhile, the committee also approved a proposal worth Rs 3.8 crore for installation of floodlights at Guru Nanak Stadium. Several other work orders related to civic projects were also cleared.

During the meeting, civic representatives also flagged the issue of MC-owned buildings near the Mayor Camp Office, seeking action against unauthorised occupants and recovery of pending rent and electricity bills.

The Commissioner said notices had already been issued in this regard.

Another proposal to construct a retaining wall along the Buddha Dariya in the North constituency was also put on hold.

Plan to install around 150 biometric attendance machines across various civic body locations was deferred as well. Instead, the committee has opted to explore alternative methods to regulate the attendance of sanitation staff. Commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta directed officials to bring attendance under an e-portal system, with the original aim of biometric machines being to curb duplication and ensure transparency.

Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar flagged that six civic body vehicles had been handed over to private individuals instead of being operated by official drivers. He warned that in case of any mishap, liability would fall on the MC. Officials verified the claim during the meeting and confirmed the issue, following which the Mayor ordered a probe. The remaining agenda will be taken up in the next F&CC meeting, scheduled for Thursday.