Punjab govt to spend Rs 3,568 crore on Ludhiana's development

The Punjab government will spend Rs 3,568 crore for the development of Ludhiana city in the next five years.
The state government has initiated process of systematic and planned development of Ludhiana, the largest industrial and most-populated city of Punjab, Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said.
A comprehensive plan has been prepared with a budget of Rs 3,568 crore to be spent in the next five years on the city's development, he said.
The government will provide clean canal drinking water to the residents of the big cities of Punjab. In the initial phase, this facility will be available to Ludhiana, Patiala, Sri Amritsar Sahib, Sidhu said.

"For which, water from Sidhwan and Sirhind canal will be used for Ludhiana city and Rs 2,500 crore have been earmarked for this project. This project will be completed in the next two years," the minister said.
The state government is encouraging water harvesting in the state. Apart from this, 64 sewerage treatment plants will be restarted and utilised properly, he informed.

Most of the people residing in urban sectors are not paying the property and house tax necessary for urban development, he alleged.
The state government has decided to bring in 'One Time Settlement Scheme' to remove such roadblocks in development, he said, adding that under the scheme, a lump sum balance amount would be levied from the residents of urban areas which would lead to a major financial relief for them and re- commencing of development oriented works of the cities.

The minister also said an ambitious initiative 'Kaptan E-Seva', under which procuring of all kinds of maps including those of houses through online mode would be started in next 20 days time.
The smart city project brought for the sake of the development of city is being reviewed on which Rs 396 crore have been spent during the current period and out of this amount, Rs 200 crore have been released, he said.
Owing to "hap-hazard" planning by the previous SAD-BJP government, the development centric works in the city were stalled and to re-start these, Rs 136 crore have been sanctioned, he said.

To cater to the long pending demand of people, Sidhu said an exhibition center would be set up in Ludhiana for which Rs 25 crore have been earmarked by the state government. Its work will be started soon, he added.
Earlier, Sidhu laid the foundation stone of the railway over bridges at railway corridor in Pakhowal road to be built at a cost of Rs 100 crore and jagraon bridge being built at a budget of Rs 26 crore which is the lifeline of the city.
He said that these two projects would be completed in next two years.
Earlier, many senior leaders of the Lok Insaaf Party joined the Congress.

Those joined the Congress include Lok Insaaf Party's state president of Industrial wing, Jaswinder Singh Thukral, its Youth Wing's state president Manraj Singh and senior leader Jaipal Singh Sandhu.