Mayor Inderjit Kaur of Ludhiana has issued directives to the staff of the Municipal Corporation (MC) to commence preparations for a crucial general house meeting. This significant session is tentatively scheduled for the latter part of December. Notably, this will mark only the third such assembly of the civic body's general house in the entire year, with the previous one having been conducted back in May.
Major Expansion of Ludhiana on the Cards
The upcoming meeting is poised to deliberate on a potentially transformative resolution. The central proposal under consideration is the expansion of Ludhiana's official city limits. If the house gives its approval, this move would lead to the inclusion of more than 100 surrounding villages into the municipal fold.
This ambitious plan would effectively double the city's geographical footprint, increasing it to nearly 400 square kilometers. Authorities are aiming to get this resolution passed ahead of a critical national deadline. The entire process must be completed before the national census deadline of December 31.
Allegations of Political Exclusion Surface
The run-up to this important meeting has not been smooth, with accusations of partisan politics creating friction. Municipal Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal had earlier instructed zonal commissioners to conduct preliminary meetings with local councillors. The goal was to streamline the agenda for the main house session.
However, in Zone D, this process has sparked controversy. Opposition councillors belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress have alleged that they were deliberately left out of these preparatory discussions.
BJP councillor Rohit Sikka voiced strong objections, stating that five party councillors, including Suman Verma and Ruchi Vishal Gulati, did not receive any notification about the meeting. Sikka condemned the action, calling it a "blatant violation of democratic norms" and an impediment to developmental work in their wards.
In response, Zonal Commissioner Jasdev Sekhon provided an explanation for the omission. He cited a lack of physical space in his office as the reason for not being able to accommodate all councillors at once. Sekhon assured that separate meetings would be organized for BJP and Congress representatives to discuss issues specific to their wards.
A Contentious Session Expected
Although the formal agenda for the December meeting is yet to be circulated publicly, indications suggest it could be a stormy affair. Councillors from the opposition benches have expressed profound dissatisfaction with the performance of municipal officials over the past months.
They plan to aggressively raise several pressing concerns during the session. Key among these are grievances related to stalled development projects and perceived civic mismanagement across various parts of the city.
Beyond the monumental city expansion proposal, the house is also likely to discuss new technological initiatives. According to reports, in a push towards paperless governance, the civic body is considering providing tablets to all 95 councillors. These devices would be used to digitally access meeting agendas, documents, and other official communications.
The late-December meeting, therefore, shapes up to be a pivotal event for Ludhiana's future, setting the course for its administrative and physical landscape amid both ambitious plans and political discord.
