Ludhiana, June 7
Irony dies a hundred deaths under the chief ministership of Bhagwant Mann. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by one of Punjab’s worst chief ministers, has once again played a “cruel joke” on the people. This time, Ludhiana stands plastered with hoardings (Visuals Attached), each flaunting Mann’s portrait—boasting of repairing 45,000 km of roads.
Expressing these views, in a scathing statement, former DCC Ludhiana (Urban) President and Ex-Chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board, Pawan Dewan, drew attention to the 600-meter stretch connecting Sacred Heart Convent School and the MC Zone D office—key institutions that remain stranded on a road in deplorable condition. “We have been pursuing this issue for over three months. When the government cannot repair a 600-meter stretch, how can Mann make tall claims of repairing 45,000 km of roads? The reality is that Mann is one of the most publicity-hungry CMs and these hoardings are nothing but his personal advertisement,” Dewan charged.
Dewan also revealed that on March 18, 2026, he had submitted a detailed three-page memorandum to MC Commissioner Dr. Neeru Katyal Gupta, outlining the severe civic problems plaguing Ludhiana—particularly in the Ludhiana (West) assembly segment. “Yet, even after 82 days, not a single grievance has been addressed, leaving residents crushed under official apathy,” he rued. Dewan remarked that when the CM himself is consumed with self-promotion through “hollow promises”, expecting sincerity from his officials is nothing but a “farce”.
Taking up another crucial issue, Dewan warned that the monsoon is less than a month away, yet the civic body has made no preparations. Citing the Bharat Nagar and Mint Gumri–Gulati Chowk road cave-ins as stark reminders of civic negligence, he said they epitomize the MC’s habitual apathy. “Despite repeated warnings – timely reconstruction is ignored, reflecting a governance model built on delay, indifference and disregard for public safety. Under Mann’s government, this neglect is nothing new—it is the same story every year,” Dewan charged
Dewan further slammed the civic body for leaving roads dug up during the canal water pipeline project in a state of neglect. He pointed out that these stretches, left unrepaired after pipeline laying, have not only caused extreme harassment to residents but have also led to accidents at several locations. Castigating the MCs’ irresponsible attitude, Dewan said this reckless disregard for public safety exposes the sheer failure of governance under Mann’s regime.
