In a significant move set to reshape its urban landscape, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) has greenlit a landmark resolution to bring 100 surrounding villages within its administrative limits. This ambitious decision headlined the first General House meeting in over seven months, breaking a prolonged deadlock on key civic issues.
A Contentious Expansion Plan
Presided over by Mayor Inderjit Kaur at Dr. B R Ambedkar Bhawan, the meeting saw civic leaders and state lawmakers converge to push forward long-stalled urban development plans. The proposal to incorporate the 100 villages, however, faced immediate resistance from opposition members. Congress Councillor Satpal Lohara and others argued that the administration should instead prioritize regularizing illegal colonies within the existing city boundaries before expanding outward.
Mayor Inderjit Kaur dismissed these objections, assuring a methodical approach. She informed the house that a thorough survey would be conducted after the national census in December, and only then would the systematic extension work be carried out.
Honoring Heritage and Resolving Civic Issues
In a parallel move to honor Sikh history, the House passed several resolutions to rename prominent city locations. Hero Bakery Chowk will now be known as Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Chowk. The road leading to Baba Deep Singh Gurdwara will officially bear the name of Baba Deep Singh Ji, and Kidwai Nagar has been renamed Gosain Nagar. The meeting also began with tributes paid to the martyrdom of the Chaar Sahibzaade, the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh.
On the civic front, the House moved to resolve chronic labor shortages by approving the recruitment of new staff on both regular and "DC rate" (district collector rate) contracts. In a significant humanitarian gesture, the Council also approved providing jobs on compassionate grounds to the next of kin of approximately 65 deceased employees.
Push for Cleanliness and Bipartisan Cooperation
With an eye on improving its ranking in the upcoming national cleanliness survey, the Swachh Survekshan, officials approved new initiatives for solid waste management. These projects are specifically designed to tackle the challenge of "legacy waste"—the massive accumulation of untreated garbage in the city's aging landfills.
Despite early friction over the expansion plan, the meeting concluded on a cooperative note with a productive "zero hour" session. MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal and the Mayor issued immediate directives to civic engineers to address ward-specific complaints raised by councillors from both the ruling and opposition parties. The presence of MLAs like Ashok Prashar Pappi and Madan Lal Bagga underscored the state government's keen interest in Ludhiana's urban overhaul.
