Ludhiana, March 25
Former President of the District Congress Committee, Ludhiana (Urban) and Ex-Chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board, Pawan Dewan, has said that the annual budget of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, rushed through in yesterday’s budget meeting by AAP-led House, is nothing short of hollow. In a hard hitting statement issued here today, Dewan said, “In barely five minutes, a budget of ₹1258.80 crore was passed without debate, leaving no room for transparency or accountability. With negligible allocations for genuine development, this budget stands exposed as a façade – designed not to serve the city, but to shield corruption.”
Dewan has categorically declared the Municipal Corporation’s budget as ‘non-transparent’ – a document deliberately engineered to foster malpractice rather than progress. He asserted that Ludhiana deserves development, not deception and a close examination of the budget exposes glaring irregularities. “The budget lays bare the Corporation’s dismal performance in recovering fees and taxes across its branches. Even more shocking is the fixation of excise tax at a mere ₹15 crore, despite hundreds of liquor shops flourishing across the city. This inexplicable reduction is not just a lapse – it is a clear signal of deep-rooted irregularities,” Dewan charged.
Continuing his tirade against the AAP, Dewan further said that the Ludhiana’s sanitation system lies in shambles, despite crores being earmarked under the banner of solid waste management. “Illegal constructions continue unchecked, while the Corporation’s Building Branch fails miserably in recovering dues. Even more alarming is the allocation of ₹3 crore for cleaning Buddah Nullah, despite the fact that Poclain machines were already purchased under the Smart City Mission. This points unmistakably towards corruption in the making”, he argued.
Dewan further lambasted the Corporation for its opacity, pointing out that the O&M Branch has failed to release even a single detail about where work has been undertaken or what progress has been achieved. “The silence is deafening and the irregularities undeniable,” he said. Expressing deep anguish, the senior Congress leader condemned the meager allocations for the construction and maintenance of roads and lanes, solid waste management, sewerage line cleaning and street lighting. He asserted that these token provisions expose the hollowness of the budget and betray the city’s urgent need for genuine development.
With this scathing indictment, Dewan has positioned the budget as a betrayal of Ludhiana’s citizens, demanding accountability and transparency in place of hollow figures and concealed corruption.
