In a costly and contentious episode, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to pay a contractor a staggering Rs 12.25 lakh for operating the city's carcass utilisation plant for just one week. This payment comes despite the facility at Noorpur Bet remaining largely non-functional since its completion in 2021, facing relentless opposition from local villagers.
A Plant Paralyzed by Protest
Constructed under the Ludhiana Smart City Mission, the plant was finished on May 30, 2021, with the aim of scientifically processing dead animals to prevent environmental harm. The project was awarded to Ess Dee Enterprises, which was originally responsible for a seven-year operation covering all costs. However, from the very beginning, residents of nearby villages, particularly Noorpur Bet, mounted fierce resistance.
Their concerns were multifaceted: fears of strong, unpleasant odours, potential pollution, health risks, and a decline in property values due to the plant's proximity to their homes. Protests have scuttled every attempt to commission the plant. A planned inauguration in July 2021 was cancelled when the mayor had to turn back. Even police assistance failed to quell the clashes, leading to an FIR. A case filed by Col (Retd) Jasjit Singh Gill remains pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The Costly Trial and Ongoing Stalemate
Following the NGT's strict stance and verbal instructions from the deputy commissioner's office, the MC pushed for a restart. A meeting on January 4, 2024, chaired by the then MC commissioner, decided the concessionaire should run the plant on a trial basis for two months, with the MC bearing expenses. Operations began on January 14, 2024, but were abruptly halted on January 25, 2024, when locals, led by then MP Ravneet Bittu, protested vehemently.
This brief one-week operation is what led to the Rs 12.25 lakh bill. Furthermore, the contractor has refused to pay for security at the idle plant, forcing the MC's Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) to approve an annual expenditure of Rs 6.38 lakh to hire three security guards. Officials noted that a proposal to shift the plant to another location is under consideration, but as the asset owner, the MC remains responsible for its maintenance.
High-Level Interventions and Future Uncertainty
The issue has reached the highest levels of the state administration. The Punjab chief secretary has held multiple meetings, and on August 17, 2024, the state government formed a high-power committee of ministers from local government and agriculture departments to examine the difficulties and find solutions. Meanwhile, the MC's payment proposal, first sent in October last year and deferred, was recently cleared.
The saga of the Noorpur Bet plant highlights the complex challenge of implementing urban utility projects amid public apprehension. For now, Ludhiana's civic body is left footing a substantial bill for a facility that exists in a state of expensive paralysis, its future hinging on either a resolution with villagers or a costly relocation.
