Panchkula MC Elections Approach With Major Projects Still Pending
The Panchkula Municipal Corporation gears up for its next elections, but several significant initiatives remain unfinished. Outgoing mayor Kulbhushan Goyal asserts his five-year term delivered one thousand development works valued at four hundred crore rupees. However, residents face the reality of delayed civic projects across the city.
Key Projects That Failed to Materialize
Multiple high-profile municipal corporation projects did not see completion during Goyal's tenure, which concluded earlier this month. The incomplete list includes clearing the Sector twenty-three dumping ground, constructing the corporation's own building, creating dedicated cycle tracks, restarting the e-bikes initiative, and implementing the Street Vendors Act properly.
Despite repeated deadlines, the Sector twenty-three dumping ground continues to operate. The municipal corporation's first material recovery facility, built at Alipur for three crore rupees, remains unused. Officials claim progress in clearing the Jhuriwala dumping site and a portion of the Sector twenty-three site, but full resolution eludes them.
Infrastructure and Administrative Challenges
The civic body currently functions from three separate offices in Sectors four, twelve-A, and fourteen due to space constraints. This forces residents to shuttle between locations for routine municipal work. Construction of the municipal corporation building in Sector three, which began in twenty-twenty, stalled midway because of contractor-related issues. Mayor Goyal attributed the delay to legal hurdles that hampered progress.
Other transportation initiatives also faltered. Dedicated cycle tracks could not be built, and the e-bikes project collapsed shortly after its launch. Panchkula recorded its worst-ever ranking in last year's Swachhata Survekshan cleanliness survey. While Goyal blamed several areas falling under the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority and Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran for poor civic upkeep, residents reported unchecked open dumping across the city.
Vending Zones and Governance Gaps
Most allotted vending sites remained vacant during this term, while unregistered vendors spread across non-designated zones without proper enforcement. The municipal corporation did not hold elections for senior deputy mayor or deputy mayor positions throughout this five-year period, creating governance gaps in leadership structure.
Mayor's Defense and Achievements
Kulbhushan Goyal, who recently released a book detailing his achievements, defended his record. He stated his one thousand works included new community centres, banquet halls, LED streetlight conversion, entry gates, road upgrades, parks, and village-level improvements. Goyal identified strengthening door-to-door garbage collection as his biggest accomplishment, along with arranging disposal of waste from Jhuriwala and Sector twenty-three sites.
The mayor emphasized financial management, noting, "When I took charge, the municipal corporation had around one hundred crore rupees. At the end of my five-year tenure, I handed over fixed deposit receipts worth two hundred fifty crore rupees to the corporation."
As election preparations begin, residents weigh these claims against the visible unfinished projects that continue to affect daily life in Panchkula.
