Development quota: Bifurcation of Ludhiana wards triggers row

 With the finance and contracts committee (F&CC) of Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) fixing development quota for internal and external wards of the city, their bifurcation has triggered a row among councillors, including those belonging to the Congress. 

The mayor had earlier fixed development quota for internal and external wards at ₹1 crore and ₹1.5 crore per annum. Now, councillors are making efforts to get their wards declared as external ones in a bid to get more funds for development.

However, Congress councillors, category of whose wards has been changed from external to internal, are opposing the move.

This decision might again bring to the fore factionalism in the local Congress leadership. Congress leaders rue that wards which had for years remained under the external category, including those of South and East constituencies, have now been listed as internal ones. 

One of the MC officials, on the condition of anonymity, said the matter was also raised in the F&CC meeting held on September 3.

“The mayor at that time had announced to form a panel to categorise external and internal wards of the city, but that is yet to be constituted,” he added.

He further said that mayor had also told MC’s tender inviting cell (TIC) officials to prepare a list of development works either being taken up or proposed for each ward of the city. “Development projects would be approved by the F&CC only up to the limit of fixed quota,” he added.

Leader of opposition in MC general house, SAD councillor Harbhajan Singh Dang, said he recently came to know about the categorisation of wards. “I would hold a meeting with SAD councillors and if category of any ward is found to have been changed wrongly, I will take up the matter with the mayor,” he added.