Ludhiana: Former civic leaders have launched a blistering critique of the city’s latest multi-crore budget, labelling the fiscal plan a collection of “inflated projections” that masks a reality of crumbling infrastructure and failed public works.While the municipal corporation (MC) has proposed a massive expenditure for the financial year 2026-27, critics point to a pattern of systemic underspending and the “deplorable” state of the city’s own headquarters as evidence of a widening gap between administrative announcements and ground-level action.The “Desilting” DeficitFormer councillor Mamta Ashu questioned the local body department’s intent after reviewing the previous year’s performance. She highlighted a ₹30 crore allocation specifically earmarked for the desilting of the Buddha Dariya— a critical environmental waterway — that saw almost no actual spending in the 2025-26 period. “This clearly points to gaps between announcements and action,” Ashu said. “Public money demands responsible planning, not inflated projections on paper and inconsistencies in execution.“She further noted a lack of financial discipline, alleging that while core development projects languished, the corporation overspent on machinery beyond approved limits. “It indicates either projects are not being executed properly, or funds are being over-projected without implementation capacity,” she added.A Headquarters in DecayThe critique extended beyond spreadsheets to the physical state of the corporation itself. Former councillor Parminder Mehta ridiculed the administration for passing a budget worth crores while failing to provide basic facilities for its own staff and the public.Mehta pointed out that the headquarters of Punjab’s largest municipal corporation lacks a ground-floor bathroom and a functional lift, effectively barring the disabled and the elderly from accessing services. “Those who passed a budget worth crores neither have their own halls for meetings nor are there even councillor rooms available at the zonal level,” Mehta said.The Infrastructure GapThe “deplorable state” of the Zone C office was cited as a primary example of the civic body’s failure to maintain its own assets. Mehta noted that the corporation, which frequently promises modern urban facilities, lacks even uniform furniture in its offices. “Before increasing the budget by crores every year, the corporation should ensure that the general public, its councillors, and employees receive facilities at the highest level,” Mehta said. He dismissed talk of modernising or air-conditioning the offices as a “distant dream” given the current lack of basic sanitation and accessibility. MSID:: 129775039 413 |
