Ludhiana: Congress MP Ravneet Bittu and MLAs Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sanjay Talwar have decided to object to the decision of local bodies minister Navjot Sidhu who has stopped allotment of project works to the single bidder even when the work is of essential nature.
Some of the important projects under the Smart City Mission could not begin due to this single bidder problem and the chief vigilance officer appointed by the minister did not allow the allotment of work to the contractor.
Conducting a review of projects under Smart City Mission and other central schemes on Thursday, the MLAs said they would even approach chief minister Amarinder Singh over this issue.
The project of modern slaughter house has been hanging fire due to this problem. The officials had floated tenders thrice for this project, but the government has not given its sanction till date. Similarly, the officials floated the tenders for Sarabha Nagar retrofitting twice. They did not receive any response the first time and there was single bidder in second go. Now they have floated the tenders again.
The officials showed apprehensions that two more projects of construction and demolition plant and carcass utilization plant are of similar nature where they will receive limited response. There are only a few expert companies for such projects therefore there are chances of repeating the same things.
MLA Ashu asked the officials to give their representation. He said he would first try to convince the minister and in case he does not change his mind, then he would take up the case with CM.
He said they would try to solve this issue as there is no reason to delay the project works when the complete process is completed through e-tendering.
Sidhu ‘phobia’
MLAs and senior officials in the meeting discussed that officers are under “Sidhu Phobia” and are not willing to allot the work to the single bidder. In the past, the local bodies minister took action against the officers. Also they highlighted that in other departments, single bidding system is allowed but when it comes to MC the officials are shying away from taking the decision.
MC House to advise changes in parking policy
MLA Ashu said the local bodies department has notified the parking policy which is not possible to be implemented in the city like Ludhiana especially the recovery of charges for parking in the residential areas. The MLA said MC will further hire contractors to manage the parking sites. In the absence of proper staff, the department will not be able to monitor the system and the contractors will fleece the general public like they are doing at five sites. He said the MC general house will reject this policy and will ask the local bodies department to make some amendments and then it will be implemented.