The Ludhiana municipal corporation's Finance and Contracts Committee passed 49 agenda items but deferred 18 others for the next meeting on October 29. Councillor Gaurav Bhatti sought time to examine supplementary proposals and questioned road work allotments. Mayor Inderjit Kaur said, "The company had secured the tenders through the prescribed procedure."
The municipal corporation's Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) passed 49 regular agenda items but deferred 18 supplementary proposals for its next meeting after Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti sought time to examine them. Bhatti also questioned the proposed allotment of road works worth around ₹20 crore to Somaya, calling for scrutiny of the company's past performance and technical capacity before fresh work was awarded.
Bhatti said the company's work record, machinery and resources should be assessed to ensure timely completion of projects and prevent inconvenience to residents.
Mayor Inderjit Kaur defended the tendering process, saying the company had secured the tenders through the prescribed legal procedure and that the councillor's objections had been addressed at the meeting.
The mayor said the meeting was productive and confirmed that the 18 supplementary agenda items would be taken up at the next sitting, scheduled for October 29.
Bhatti also questioned the proposed installation of two tubewells in Hira Nagar, which falls in the mayor's ward. While one tubewell had been shifted from Ward 75, the other was newly approved.
The mayor clarified that the newly approved tubewell would also be shifted to Ward 75.
Several other civic proposals were deferred, rejected or kept pending. Development works in lanes of the Central constituency were deferred for consideration at the next meeting. A proposal to develop a park on a vacant plot in Focal Point was rejected, with a green belt suggested as an alternative. The proposed agreement with Jeev Ashray Gaushala was also rejected, while the proposal to lay a sewer line in Ward 25 was kept pending.
Bhatti opposed a proposal to construct a road in Hargobind Nagar, Ward 36, using MC funds if funding under the SASCI scheme was unavailable. He maintained that the work should be undertaken only through SASCI funds.
The Cong councillor also questioned the proposed appointment of Abhay Sahota as a part-time law officer on a monthly retainer of ₹10,000, seeking scrutiny of his experience and case record. Bhatti suggested hiring a lawyer on a case-to-case basis or advertising the position to ensure transparency. The proposal was forwarded for further approval.