3 yrs, just 1 project completed under Smart City Mission

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 8

When it was announced that Ludhiana will be developed as a ‘smart city’ in January 2016, many residents had expected to see major changes in the city’s outlook. However, more than three years have passed but the Smart City Mission is moving at a snail’s pace.

The Ludhiana Smart City Limited (LSCL) could complete only one project of rooftop solar panels on selected government buildings in the city. Besides, installation of way-finding and road signage, LED streetlights, construction of toilets and retrofitting of the Sarabha Nagar market are underway. However, many major proposed projects are yet to be started on the ground level.

Public participation is negligible in the mission. There is no independent office of the LSCL where residents can get any information related to the projects.

The foundation stone of a major project railway overbridge at Pakhowal Road was laid in 2017 by the then Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu but work could not be started till date due to various reasons. Now, officials are claiming that the state technical committee had given a nod and work order the project would be started by next week.

The foundation stone to make Malhar Road as a smart street and retrofitting of the Sarabha Nagar market was laid by Capt Amarinder Singh in March 2018. Work is yet to start at Malhar Road while the Sarabha Nagar market project has been started recently.

Besides, projects, including set up of a carcass utilisation plant, dedicated cycle track, construction of a waste management plant, underground parking at Ferozepur Road, multi-level car parking at Books Market and Feroze Gandhi Market, improvement of junctions, proposed facade lighting of Ludhiana’s Clock Tower, etc, are yet to be started. The building for an integrated command control centre has been constructed but the required equipment is yet to be installed.

“The projects which are actually required for the city have been ignored. As there is no public participation for the Smart City Mission as per guidelines, we are going to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Earlier, the Ghumar Mandi road area was to be retrofitted but it was ignored,” said Kapil Arora, president of the Council of Engineers.

One of the directors of the LSCL, Sanjay Goel, said, “The mission is going at a slow pace as there is no will power for it. The meetings should be held at least twice a week but there is no independent office of the LSCL in Ludhiana. Most directors of the LSCL are from here but meetings are held in Chandigarh. Public participation is the backbone of any mission but it is missing.”