Ludhiana's Road Crisis: Massive Budget Allocation Fails to Deliver Results
In Ludhiana, the Municipal Corporation has once again proposed a substantial budget for the construction and maintenance of roads and streets, yet the city's infrastructure continues to deteriorate alarmingly. Despite annual claims of improvement, the pathetic condition of roads suggests that funds are being wasted without any permanent solution in sight.
Budget Breakdown and Historical Spending Patterns
For the upcoming fiscal year, the MC has earmarked ₹50 crore specifically for city road development, while an additional ₹100 crore is proposed for street construction and maintenance. This follows a consistent annual pattern where the corporation allocates significant sums to infrastructure projects.
In the 2025-26 budget, the MC claimed it would spend ₹25 crore on roads and ₹54 crore on streets. However, actual expenditures from the previous year, 2024-25, reveal a different story: only ₹16.54 crore was spent on roads, while street work consumed ₹82 crore. Major roads in the city are also covered under central government-funded schemes, adding another layer to the funding puzzle.
Residents Voice Frustration Over Poor Quality and Lack of Oversight
Local residents have pointed fingers at the substandard materials used during road construction. Even in November and December, when the MC undertook reconstruction projects in multiple areas, the roads washed away almost immediately after completion.
"The roads have remained in poor condition all the time, and most of the time only patchwork is done. Even patchwork remains for a few days," complains Anup Kumar, a chartered accountant. He emphasized that there is no control over the quality of materials, noting that he has never witnessed any civic officer collecting samples for testing. This lack of oversight raises serious questions about the sincerity and accountability of officials.
Echoing these concerns, Parminder Mehta, a former councillor and resident of Jassian Road, stated, "It is good that officials keep lots of funds for the roads, but they should keep a check on the quality of material as well." He advocated for mandatory sampling of materials during construction and suggested that contractors using inferior materials should be barred from future projects.
Official Response: Blaming External Factors
Sham Lal Gupta, the superintending engineer of the MC, offered a different perspective. "Quality of material being used at the time of construction of roads no doubt is a major factor, but waterlogging and digging of roads time and again are also factors behind the poor condition of roads," he explained.
Gupta further argued that the allocated funds are insufficient for the city's needs, particularly for constructing concrete roads in high-traffic areas. He highlighted that special attention is given to patchwork, as regular maintenance can sometimes prevent further damage to the roads.
Specific Areas of Concern and Future Challenges
The condition of roads in key localities such as Haibowal, Civil Lines, Chander Nagar, Hambran Road, and PAU Road is described as particularly pathetic. Residents are hopeful that new construction will commence in March following the winter season, but this optimism is tempered by ongoing challenges.
A major obstacle is the canal-based water supply project, which involves extensive digging across the city. This project presents a significant hurdle for any sustained road construction efforts, potentially undermining future improvements.
In summary, while Ludhiana's Municipal Corporation continues to propose hefty budgets for road development, the persistent poor condition of infrastructure highlights systemic issues in execution, quality control, and planning. Without addressing these core problems, the cycle of wasted funds and public dissatisfaction is likely to continue.
