Open house: What are major civic issues that need to be addressed by newly elected councillors?

Address civic issues effectively

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In the intricate dance of democratic representations, promises by political parties have metamorphosed from social support mechanisms to sophisticated electoral instruments. Politicians have discovered that making big promises can be more potent than working for the needy. As the political landscape continues to reshape itself, one waits to see who keeps their promises and who simply follows the script. The newly elected councillors face a slew of pressing civic issues that require immediate attention. The difficulties they face vary by location, but several major issues persist across most wards. Addressing these issues effectively can help citizens’ live better. Waste management is among Ludhiana’s most pressing problems. Policies that support sustainability, such as waste reduction, appropriate disposal methods, and the preservation of green spaces, must be supported by the recently elected councillors. The cleaning and revitalisation of Buddha Nullah ought to be their top priority. Another crucial element is addressing the problem of stray dogs, which calls for mass sterilisation campaigns to reduce their numbers. Regulations governing the feeding of stray dogs ought to be implemented in order to deter careless feeding. Undoubtedly, the newly elected council members face a difficult task, but they also have the chance to improve Ludhiana.

Novin Christopher

Must ensure amenities are distributed evenly

While there are three basic requirements—food, clothes, and shelter—for a human being, civic amenities are important, too, in the modern world that we live in. These amenities include water supply and sanitation, roads and drains, streetlights, collection and disposal of waste, maintenance of public places, registration of births and deaths, fire tender services, maintenance of markets, homes for aged people etc. The Municipal Corporation (MC) must ensure the availability of these civic amenities to the residents, and the councillors must make sure these are evenly distributed. The MC has already divided the city into four zones, but the areas should be divided further to implement schemes more effectively. There must be one nominated member in each street to record complaints. These issues should be reported further by this designated person, and the problem should be resolved within a stipulated time period. Councillors must make sure the authorities concerned provide telephone, sewerage, electricity, and water connections before carpeting roads. The councillor should keep a check on illegal activities, such as digging or organising functions on the road, and impose fines. Councillors should ensure proper lifting of garbage. They should also be available on email or WhatsApp. In each area there must be one park.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Councillors should be held accountable

Voters are not looking to elect a party-based councillor but somebody who would represent them and address the problems of the people of his/her ward. After being elected, the councillor must take an oath to provide basic amenities, including electricity, water, sewage, sanitation etc and also manage services such as fire-fighting, health, roads, public transport, markets, parks, libraries, and local tourism. They must ensure cleanliness in their respective wards. They should focus on getting the maximum number of plants and trees planted in their respective wards. Every councillor should make street or ward committees, selecting a member each from every street, to implement various schemes of the corporation effectively. The object of the ward committee is to enhance participatory democracy in the local government. The councillor should chair meetings of ward committees. Councillors who fail to provide basic facilities to residents in their wards should be debarred from contesting elections in the future. Each and every councillor should be held responsible and accountable to the public.

Farzana Khan

Work on improving city’s poor infra

One of the priorities of the newly elected councillors should be to improve the city’s deteriorating infrastructure, particularly its roads and drainage systems. Many portions of Ludhiana have poorly maintained roads, resulting in traffic congestion, accidents, and an overall lack of safety. The previous public representatives failed to assure timely repairs and maintenance, leaving citizens dissatisfied. Furthermore, the drainage systems across various locations in the city are obsolete and prone to blockages, which causes waterlogging and increases the risk of illness during monsoons. Councillors must address these challenges by prioritising infrastructure improvements, carrying out regular checks, and enforcing accountability. The new representatives must strive to move away from the inefficiency of the past and towards long-term solutions to these ongoing issues.

Tamanpreet Kaur Khangura

Rehabilitate stray dogs and cattle

Despite extensive media coverage, public representatives in the past have failed to facilitate any significant improvements in the condition of the available civil amenities in the city. Most roads in and around Ludhiana are in a shambles; the potholes and wide pits pose a great risk to commuters. The faulty streetlights have made the residents vulnerable to petty crimes such as snatching and stabbing. The conventional streetlights need to be replaced with LED ones as they save energy, besides reducing carbon emissions. Further, roadside encroachments by shopkeepers and stall owners have mushroomed in various markets, causing traffic snarls and parking hassles. Challans should be issued to the erring shopkeepers and vendors. Shelters should be set up for stray dogs outside the civic body limits, and all strays should be relocated to these shelters in a phased manner. The targets fixed for sterilisation of dogs must be completed to get rid of them. Stray cattle should also be rehabilitated to gaushalas and MC shelters. All these jobs are meant to be done under the orders and supervision of the public representatives through the civic body officials.

RS SEMBHI

Update, maintain drainage systems

One of the most urgent among all other civic issues facing the city residents is the failure of the drainage system in the rainy season. Residents want the newly elected councillors to consider this matter and work on updating and maintaining the drainage systems. The councillors should also ensure streetlights remain in working condition in order to prevent accidents and petty crimes like thefts in the dark. These are the two most pressing and basic problems that require immediate attention from the newly elected councillors.

JATINDER MASOUN

Focus on proper waste management

The previous representatives left many works incomplete, and it is upon the new elects to work on infrastructure, employment, sanitation and other issues. The newly elected representatives should work on fostering local jobs and skill development programmes. Next in the list is environmental concerns, for which councillors need to focus on waste management. The newly elected counsellors should create more awareness about how to manage waste in the community.

Japleen Kaur

Ensure safety of women in city

Newly elected councillors will need to focus on rectifying longstanding issues that previous administrations may have failed to address. By prioritising the civic issues faced by residents, they can build a more efficient, inclusive, and responsive local government that truly meets the needs of the community. The key will be a commitment to transparency, community engagement, and sustainable development practices. This can be achieved by bringing the youth to the fore. The proposals kept before voters during campaigning should be strictly followed after winning. The councillors should develop a sense of belongingness with the locality and maintain personal connections with the people. New councillors should also focus on developing a strong grievance redressal model and meeting residents frequently to know the issues being faced by them. Councillors must focus on improving traffic management, expanding road networks, and enhancing public transportation to alleviate congestion. Ensuring the safety of women in public spaces is crucial. The newly elected councillors must push for more street lighting in dark areas, improved policing, and awareness campaigns. Councillors should advocate for better funding for public schools and modernised classrooms.

Manmeen Kaur

Improving roads should be priority

The newly elected representatives must concentrate on the condition of the roads in the city, especially when the city is known as a smart city. The roads, both on the outskirts and inside the city, need constant repairs and must be kept in the best condition. The Municipal Corporation must designate a separate group of workers for repairing and maintaining roads. Many roads develop potholes, especially during the rainy season. These potholes must be attended to promptly to prevent mishaps. Likewise, there are many low-lying areas in the city. They get waterlogged, posing problems both for pedestrians and drivers. Drainage in such areas needs urgent attention and improvement. The market roads in the city are always jam-packed, especially during the festive season. Help from local police must be freely sought to keep the traffic running smoothly. There are many other issues also that need urgent attention by the newly elected councillors, but the improvement of roads in the smart city is more important and should be attended to as a priority.

Gautam Dev