Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Faces Resource Crunch Ahead of Halwara Airport Inauguration
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official inauguration of Halwara International Airport is scheduled as a virtual event, the physical preparations on the ground have pushed Ludhiana's municipal resources to their absolute limit. With a strict Sunday deadline approaching, the municipal corporation has mobilized a substantial task force to the airport site, located well beyond the city's boundaries, to ensure the long-awaited terminal presents an impeccable appearance for this high-profile national event.
Beautification Efforts Create Significant Municipal Burden
Despite the airport's location in the Raikot sub-division, approximately 80 to 90 municipal corporation employees along with a considerable fleet of heavy machinery have been redirected from their regular city duties to this rural location. The extensive work underway includes clearing substantial wild vegetation that accumulated during the terminal's prolonged wait for opening, alongside comprehensive beautification efforts involving general cleaning, landscaping, and the installation of ceremonial flags.
Municipal staff have been working around the clock in demanding 48-hour shifts to meet an ambitious Saturday evening completion target, creating unprecedented operational challenges for the civic body.
Internal Friction Emerges Over Jurisdictional Boundaries
The substantial deployment has sparked quiet but significant resentment among senior civic officials who typically resist responsibility for infrastructure projects falling outside their designated jurisdiction. However, direct orders from Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain have left municipal authorities with minimal alternatives, forcing compliance despite internal objections.
"There is already a critical staff scarcity for maintaining basic cleanliness standards within Ludhiana city proper," revealed a senior municipal corporation official speaking under conditions of anonymity. "When our dedicated teams and essential machinery spend the entire weekend working in Raikot, the city's own maintenance and sanitation inevitably suffer noticeable deterioration."
Several officials have openly questioned why staff from the geographically closer Mullanpur Committee or the Raikot sub-division administration itself were not utilized for the extensive manual labor required at the airport site, rather than drawing resources from Ludhiana's already strained municipal workforce.
Administration Prioritizes "Prestige Project" Despite Concerns
Despite the internal grumbling and operational concerns, the district administration has categorically classified the airport launch as a "prestige project" demanding an all-hands-on-deck approach from available civic resources. Municipal corporation leaders officially maintain that it remains "obvious and necessary" for the corporation to contribute substantially to an event of this national magnitude and significance.
As of Saturday evening, reports indicate the airport site has been successfully cleared of all debris and preparatory work completed, rendering the location reportedly ready for the Prime Minister's virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony. This milestone marks a significant development in Punjab's civil aviation history, though achieved at considerable cost to Ludhiana's municipal operations and resource allocation.
The situation highlights the complex balancing act between local governance responsibilities and participation in high-profile infrastructure projects, raising important questions about jurisdictional boundaries and resource management during major state events.
