A symbolic protest involving two sacks of counterfeit notes worth ₹ 82 crore marked the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s General House meeting on Saturday, as Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti and his party leaders opposed the proposed mechanical sweeping project. The councillors observed a two-minute silence to pay tribute to the departed soul. The meeting was subsequently adjourned following the demise of Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) councillor Usha Rani Kalyan of Ward 47 due to a prolonged illness.
Former councillor Mamta Ashu, wife of former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, also questioned the project. In a video message on social media, she claimed that the rates quoted for the work were exorbitant.
“The experts have said that this won’t succeed. The proposal has faced sustained resistance from Congress councillors, who have questioned its financial implications and viability. He has since been rallying opposition councillors to resist its passage in the General House. Then I don’t understand the need to take it forward.
Bhatti, a member of the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC), said the counterfeit notes symbolised his opposition to the ₹ 82-crore mechanical sweeping project listed on the meeting’s agenda. Bhatti raised objections to the proposal, but the committee subsequently cleared it by a 4-1 vote on Wednesday.
BJP councillor Sunil Moudgil said the Opposition was united in its resistance to the proposal. “We will not let this proposal pass in the House,” he said. My conscience doesn’t allow this,” he said.
Opposition to the sweeping project has intensified since it was taken up by the F&CC on Monday.
Congress, which won 30 seats in the municipal elections, now has 24 councillors, while the BJP has 19 and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has two. The proposal’s fate will depend partly on the voting strength in the House. Seven city MLAs will also vote, potentially giving the ruling AAP an advantage if it manages to contain dissent within its ranks.
