Ludhiana West bypoll stalls crackdown on use of illegal basements

Ludhiana: More than two months after issuing notices to shopkeepers on Malhar Road for illegally using basements as commercial spaces instead of parking, Ludhiana's civic body has taken no enforcement action, reportedly due to political sensitivities ahead of upcoming bypolls.
Officials had identified over 400 such buildings citywide in a survey launched last August, following a deadly incident in Delhi where three students died in a flooded coaching centre basement. Despite warnings of strict penalties, only Malhar Road received official notices, dated January 8 and February 11.
The shopkeepers were instructed to restore basements for parking or face municipal action. In response, the Malhar Road Shopkeepers Association submitted a memorandum to Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh during his February 17 visit, citing a one-time settlement promised by the previous government, including blank cheques issued for compounding—a process that remains unresolved.
A senior MC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted enforcement has been delayed to "avoid any political controversy" during the west constituency bypolls. Even routine demolitions have been quietly shelved.
Of the 416 buildings flagged, 165 are in Zone D—one of the city's most commercial belts. While property owners were directed to submit sanctioned building plans or compounding receipts within a week, the civic body has yet to follow through on its own warnings.