Mission Ludhiana: How long will it take to implement? LUDHIANA: The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced a Mission Ludhiana worth Rs. 2400 crore for the development of Ludhiana town with great fan fare. It will be interesting to mention here that six months ago, the Deputy Chief Minister had announced a Mission Ludhiana worth Rs. 3600 crore. The new announcement makes a cut of Rs. 800 crore. Under the new plan of Rs. 2400 crore, a number of development projects have been envisaged for this industrial town. But the basic question is when the new projects will be started and how long it will take to complete the same. Under the revised plan, there is a proposal to provide 100 percent drinking water supply to the city. Again, the residents of this town have not forgotten that more than seven years ago under the tenure of Amarinder Singh as chief minister, the then Commissioner of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation had organized a function to celebrate the 100 percent coverage of Ludhiana town under the potable water supply. The actual position is that not more than 60 percent population gets potable water supply at present.Similarly Lakkar Bridge project has been hanging fire for the past nine years and its cost has also escalated many times. It was originally to cost Rs. 9 crores and now its cost is around Rs. 50 crores. Sukhbir Singh has also announced the construction of a number of over bridges and under bridges for the town. The under pass constructed in front of the mini-secretariat has not been used so far. It was opened about six months ago and a sum of Rs. 4 crore was spent on the same. This is a sheer wastage as not a single shop has been leased out so far. Ultimately anti-social elements will have their abode under this pass for antisocial activities. The underpass being constructed to connect Aggar Nagar A and B is still incomplete. This will also meet the same fate. There was a proposal to construct a overbridge on the railway level crossing near the Lodhi Club, but this was converted into underbridge under pressure of a builder who has built flats near the crossing. The railway crossing has been closed for the last three years and the work on under bridge even has not been completed as yet. Darshan Singh Shivalik MLA who represents this area had given a notice in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha opposing the construction of underbridge. He wants an overbridge on this railway crossing. But so far no one has bothered to listen to him. Shastri Nagar railway crossing is very busy and there are three senior secondary schools near this crossing. Originally it was planned to have an overbridge on this crossing. But the proposal was dropped because a senior Akali politician has his commercial property near the crossing. Even the under bridge cannot be constructed here because the main sewer is passing through this area. Budha Nullah is crying for cleaning for the past forty years and as the steps are taken to mitigate the sufferings of the residents living around this nullah, the problem becomes acute instead of providing any solace. Rakesh Verma, Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation says that work on the widening of the Ferozepur Road from Jagraon bridge to Sidhwan canal will be taken up shortly as tenders for the same have been floated. Second priority is to clear the budha nulla and a private agency has started survey of the nullah. On receipt of the report, work will be allotted. Manish Tewari, Information and Broadcasting Minister has challenged the claims of the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and said that funds for the Mission Ludhiana are being provided by the central Government under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewable scheme and the state Government is not able to implement the projects properly. There is a strong resentment among the congress councilors against the municipal corporation mayor who has refused to convene the general house meeting of the corporation for the last one year. Parminder Mehta, Secretary, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and spokesperson of the congress municipal councilors said today that dharna was staged by the congress councilors against the mayor who has adopted a biased attitude and the works of the congress councilors are not being cleared. Moreover, the general house of the corporation is not being convened despite repeated notices. Mehta said that Sukhbir Badal is misleading the people of the state by giving false press statements. The fact is that the Ludhiana municipal corporation was bankrupt and had no money even to buy a broom (jharoo). The sanitation situation in the town is worst and roads have not been repaired for the past many years, he said. The roads in the industrial areas particularly the focal point are in a bad shape and present a dirty look to the visitors. The foreign delegates also get a poor impression of the civic amenities in Ludhiana. All claims of the Deputy Chief Minister to make Ludhiana a model city have remained hollow so far. When this town would become Paris or Los Angeles – only God knows.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 09:45:06 +0000
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