Blindfolded devpt: Ludhiana's public works missing their identity cards

Ludhiana: Concerns were raised over the alleged non-compliance with mandatory transparency norms at several development work sites under the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana. An activist, Kuldeep Khaira, wrote a complaint to the MC commissioner, where he alleged that, despite clear instructions issued by the directorate of local govt (DLG), Punjab, many ongoing projects reportedly lacked the required display boards meant to inform the public about project details.According to official instructions issued by the directorate, all municipal corporations were directed to ensure the installation of prominent display boards at every site of ongoing development works. These instructions aimed to enhance transparency, public awareness, and accountability in projects funded by public money. As per the directive, the display boards must clearly mention key details such as the name and location of the work, date of commencement, name of the contractor or executing agency, estimated or sanctioned cost, and other relevant technical information. The absence of such boards, it was stated, undermined public oversight and weakened accountability mechanisms.'Violations of governance principles'However, the activist claimed that it was observed that several development works currently underway within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, were executed without these mandatory display boards. This was viewed as a direct violation of the DLG's instructions and contrary to the principles of transparent governance. He claimed that he requested the authorities to issue strict directions to all concerned officers and contractors for immediate compliance. The appeal also sought a comprehensive review of all ongoing development works to verify adherence to the instructions and called for fixing responsibility and initiating appropriate action against officials or contractors found violating the norms.Public funds & resident oversightThe matter was raised in the interest of transparency, public accountability, and proper utilisation of public funds, with a request for prompt corrective measures and information on the steps taken. Recently, the mayor, Inderjit Kaur, also issued instructions to the officials involved in laying water supply lines for the canal-based water supply project for the city, stating that boards should be displayed with project information. However, these instructions were not followed at all locations. Residents rued that, in most cases, they were not even aware of the ongoing works, and that if complete information was available on site, they could at least keep an eye on the work and inform the officials in case of any shortcoming.