RTI Reveals Missing Lease Records and Expired Agreements for Ludhiana MC Properties
Documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by city resident Rohit Sabharwal have exposed serious lapses in the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana's management of its 326 commercial properties. According to the records, 301 properties are on rent while 25 have been leased to educational institutions, trusts, and other organisations. However, lease agreements for eight of these leased properties are missing from MC records, and several leases have expired without renewal.
Properties with Missing Agreements
The RTI documents specifically note “Agreement Not Available” for eight leased properties. These include properties leased to Arya College, Civil Lines; Kundan Vidya Mandir; Dharamik Sewa Trust; Shri Krishna Charitable Hospital; Khalsa Education College, Ghumar Mandi; Mission Trust (Sarb Rog Ka Aukhad Naam); and two properties allotted to the Police Commissioner, Ludhiana. Only three leased properties—two allotted to Verka Dairy (Milkfed booths) and one to Shri Dandi Swami Golok Dhaam—have valid lease agreements available with the MC.
Expired Leases Dating Back Decades
The records reveal that several leases date back to the 1950s and 1960s, with some expired decades ago. For instance, the lease of Shri Amargir Singh began in 1956. The property leased to Bharat Dharam Prachar Mandal is valid from April 20, 1983, to June 2, 2062. Guru Harkrishan Public Pathi A.P. Library has a lease valid till June 5, 2092, while the Punjab Committee Martyrs Bhagat Singh Colony Welfare Association's lease runs until October 20, 2085. In contrast, leases for Sunder Lal (Blind Well) ended in 1994, Bhala Kalyan Home expired on June 30, 2013, and Shri Charan Singh Bhala Memorial Home expired in November 1994. The records do not indicate whether fresh agreements were executed.
Outstanding Dues and Financial Irregularities
According to the RTI documents, the civic body had outstanding dues of Rs 5.93 crore from rented and leased properties up to July 31, 2020. This includes Rs 5.86 crore as rent and Rs 6.75 lakh as lease amount. Furthermore, outstanding dues for six major leased properties under Zone-A increased from around Rs 66.09 lakh in 2022-23 to more than Rs 2.40 crore as of March 31, 2023.
Complaints Forwarded for Inquiry
Another RTI reply from the Directorate of Local Government, Punjab, states that 34 complaints submitted by Rohit Sabharwal regarding alleged irregularities in municipal properties, lease matters, encroachments, building violations, change of land use (CLU), road works, and other civic issues have been forwarded to competent authorities for inquiry. The department informed the applicant that the complaints have been sent for examination and action, and he will be informed about the outcome after inquiries are completed. The complaints include allegations of non-renewal of expired leases, illegal encroachments on public land, unauthorised constructions, misuse of residential properties for commercial purposes, substandard road works, and requests for vigilance inquiries.
MC Official Responds
Tapan Bhanot, MC Joint Commissioner, said, “I have already directed the officers in the branch to renew the agreement which got expired and find out the documents of missing agreements and we have already issued notices to the owners who have failed to come and renew their lease and who have failed to pay the rent.”
