MC fails to clear the air over transfer of LIT colonies in time

The usually under-fire municipal corporation (MC) has courted controversy again — this time over confusion regarding the transfer of five localities from Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) to the civic body.





In a section of press on Friday, the mayor was quoted as saying that the transfer of these localities — Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Rajguru Nagar, Maharishi Valmiki Nagar, Bharat Nagar Extension and Sant Ishar Singh Nagar — had been stalled, though he did not give a reason.



However, information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act shows that these areas had already been included in MC limits on April 3 this year.



Showing an RTI reply, Dr Satish Thaman, chairman of Rishi Nagar F-Block Welfare Association, said these colonies had been transferred and even `3.21 crore were given to the civic body vide cheque no 241202, dated April 3.



"As the documents pertaining to the transfer of these areas are already with us and MC has deployed its safai karamchari (sweepers) in these areas, we did not have any reason to believe that the colonies were not part of the civic body," Thaman said.



Ram Singh Gill, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, said that because of this confusion, residents did not know whom to contact for complaints.



Contacted, mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria admitted that the local bodies department had transferred these colonies. "But in orders issued about one-and-a-half months ago, a copy of which we have received from the department, the transfer of these colonies has been stalled for the time being. The reason is best known to the state government," he said.



Residents said that if the colonies had not been transferred, then the civic body should have at least tried to clear the confusion. "They should have at least pasted a notice on gates or issued an advertisement in newspapers, so that we could have known under whose jurisdiction are localities fall in. So far, we were of the view that the MC is taking care of our areas," a Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar resident, Gulmohar Singh Gill, said.
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