LUDHIANA: While on the one hand, the tussle over the finalization of a firm for the modernization of the slaughterhouse is going on between civic officials and the Local Bodies department, the Union Food Processing ministry has increased the problems for civic officials by asking them to complete the project by March 2019 at any cost. In case MC does not complete the project by then, they will not get a grant under the scheme from the central government.
This project is important for the city to eradicate the problem of open slaughtering of birds and animals in every locality, without caring for the norms. Under this project, the existing slaughterhouse on Hambran Road has to be upgraded into a modern slaughterhouse. Recently, a meeting took place in Delhi where officials from the
Ministry of Food Processing and MCs of those cities participated where this project could not kick off.
MC Ludhiana officials reasoned in the meeting that they had floated tenders thrice, but it did not materialize so far because companies did not come forward.
Officials have been given clear-cut instructions that they should complete the project by the end of March next year, otherwise they will have to return the grant already released to the MC. There are chances this project will be scrapped after March 2019. Senior veterinary officer Dr YP Singh said the union government had given clear-cut instructions to complete the work in the given time-frame, and now they will put up the case with the state government for speedy implementation.
Meanwhile, slaughtering in residential areas and in the open has become a problem for residents.
Jamalpur resident
Manjit Singh said slaughtering of birds and animals in the open was a common sight, which posed a risk to the lives of people residing in nearby areas. He said there should be a designated place for it.
HISTORY OF THE PROJECT
The project that was announced in 2008 has been hanging fire due to paucity of finances. The total cost of the project is somewhere around Rs 19.50 crore, out of which Rs 8 crore has to be allocated by the Union government, while the rest will be arranged by the state government and MC. The union government had paid Rs 79 lakh to MC around two-and-a-half years ago.
In September 2017, the local bodies minister Navjot Sidhu on behalf of CM Captain
Amarinder Singh made several important announcements for the industrial town, and Rs 20 crore was assured for the project. Followed by the announcement, officials started the tendering procedure, but in the first attempt, not even a single company came forward, while twice, only a single bidder participated.
Now, the case has been put up with the Local Bodies minister Navjot Sidhu, seeking permission for allotment of the project despite there being only a single bidder, as they had floated the tenders thrice. Officials claimed that in this case, as they had floated the tenders thrice, but there was only a single bidder every time, they should be allowed to allot the work to the contractor in such cases.
Representative image