Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 9

MC Commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal on Tuesday ordered the cross-checking of B&R and O&M branches’ records to bring transparency. Officials have also been directed to cross-check projects such as construction/carpeting works and sewerage works under the two branches.

The Commissioner said the officials would cross-check the records from April 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021, and file a report within seven days.

In the B&R branch, MC’s Superintending Engineer (SE) of Zone A Teerath Bansal along with engineer Rajinder Kumar would inspect records of Zone B, SE at Zone B Parveen Singla along with engineer Surinder Singh would inspect the records of Zone C, SE at MC’s Zone C Harkiranpal Singh along with engineer Rakesh Singla would inspect the records of Zone D, and SE at Zone D Rahul Gagneja along with engineer Raman Kaushal would inspect the records of Zone A. In the O&M branch, SE Rajinder Singh along with executive engineer Pardeep Kumar would inspect all records of Zone C & D. Besides, SE Ravinder Garg and Executive Engineer Ranbir Singh would inspect records of Zone A and B, the order stated.

The Commissioner said these officials had been directed to check records of measurement books, G-33 register, contractor ledgers, work registers, works done as per PWD specifications, payments made and estimates prepared as per SOP, approvals of F&CC obtained for all works as per rules, approvals from the MC House, court cases, complaints, completed works files, staff attendance, receipt/dispatch, MPLAD fund, PUEIP fund, Punjab Nirman Record, MCL funds and other grants.

In a meeting here today, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu and MC Commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal directed officials to intensify the campaign in various wards for the regularisation of illegal water supply and sewer connections. The officials of various branches were also directed to ensure recovery.

In August 2021, the state government had issued a notification offering a one-time settlement policy for the regularisation of unauthorised connections of water supply and sewerage.

The Mayor said there could be a minimum of 50,000 illegal connections of water supply and sewerage but only about 4,000 connections had been regularised since the government notified the one-time settlement policy. The officials have been directed to intensify the campaign for the regularisation of illegal connections.

MC Superintending Engineer Rajinder Singh said the deadline for getting the connections regularised was near. It is a golden chance for those property owners who were yet to get their unauthorised connections regularised.