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Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
F&CC issues work orders worth Rs 67 cr, approves new estimates of Rs 4 crore
The Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of Mohali Municipal Corporation Wednesday issued work orders worth Rs 67 crore for works previously approved and passed new estimates worth Rs 4 crore. The works approved mainly include scarifying the roads and then laying premix on them. Some of these works are already in progress in Mohali. Apart from premix work on main roads and internal streets, work relating to desilting of sewerage lines, cleaning of road drains, and other development tasks were also included. Speaking to The Indian Express after the meeting, Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu said that roads in Mohali whose lifespan had ended are being overlaid with premix, and in particular, in several areas, roads are being scraped before applying premix so that their height does not increase. Special attention is being given to this on the main roads. He added that work in Mohali is being carried out according to the needs and suggestions of councillors of different wards as well as local residents. He said that officials have been instructed to monitor these works from time to time so that there is no compromise with quality. He said that if there is any deficiency in the quality of the ongoing works, then action will be taken against the contractors and the responsible officers concerned. Present in the meeting were Municipal Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh, Senior Deputy Mayor Amrik Singh Somal, Deputy Mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi, committee members councillors Jasbir Singh Manku and Anuradha Anand, along with Chief Engineer Naresh Batta and other officials.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mohali braves power cuts from 12 to 18 hrs: Residents slam govt's ‘free power' promise
In a severe power crisis, residents of Mohali are reeling under relentless and unannounced electricity cuts lasting from 12 to 18 hours daily. Amid soaring temperatures, the lack of power has turned daily life into a nightmare, especially for the elderly and sick who depend on life-saving equipment like oxygen concentrators. With inverters failing to sustain back-up, and fans and ACs rendered useless, residents have been forced to brave unbearable heat within the four walls of their homes. 'The government promises free electricity, but there's no power at all. These wires now serve only to dry clothes,' said Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu. 'This government is a complete failure on all fronts.' Councillors and RWAs across the city echoed the frustration. Senior Deputy Mayor Amreek Singh Somal highlighted the staff shortage: 'Only two employees are handling complaints across several sectors like Phase 7, Mataur and Sector 70–71. Transformers have blown, but repairs are delayed due to lack of manpower.' Deputy Mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi warned: 'Many areas face 18-hour blackouts. If this is the situation in the capital region, imagine what must be going on in the rest of Punjab.' Councillor Kamalpreet Singh Bunni said: 'There are just two linemen for areas from Phase 9 to Phase 10. Even after a recent strike, no action was taken. We demand infrastructure upgrades and more personnel.' RWA president Jasbir Singh of Phase 7 submitted a memorandum demanding replacement of old, sagging wires and transformers. Residents like Hargobind Singh, K V Singh, and others reported severe voltage fluctuations and delayed responses despite repeated complaints. 'We've been without power since 2 am,' said 75-year-old Jasjit Kaur and 80-year-old Manmohan Singh. 'Even inverters fail during such long power cuts. No one is responding.' Councillor of Phase 7 Anuradha Anand said, 'I've received over 200 distress calls. I stayed up all night trying to coordinate with officials, but they claim to be busy elsewhere.' Former deputy mayor Manjit Singh Sethi said that Mohali has only six PSPCL staff members managing the entire city. 'I had demanded extra transformers during winter, but nothing happened. The crisis was predictable.' Finance Committee member Jasbir Singh Manku criticised the repeated unscheduled cuts in Phase 11 and called the government's free power promise 'hollow and misleading'. Housing societies Gold Homes, Parkwood and SBP in Kharar's Sector 116 reported similar ordeals. Parvinder Singh Gill and Baljit Singh said that their residents rely on generators for 10 hours a day, burning diesel worth Rs 1.25 lakh monthly. 'Regular power would be far better than 'free' power that doesn't exist,' they said. Sevak Singh, president of the Sector 123 (Airport road) Welfare Association, (New Sunny Enclave), said that electricity supply is highly erratic as it comes for a few hours and then goes off again. Residents are facing a lot of difficulties due to this. Just a couple of days ago, there was a complete power outage for an extended period because the transformer had burned out. Residents of New Chandigarh area too faced the same power cuts. Residents of Zirakpur area of MS Enclave (Dhakoli) and Ravindra Enclave (Baltana) protested against PSPCL over the extended outages. Responding to the crisis, PSPCL Superintending Engineer Sukhjit Singh said, 'The surge in AC usage has increased demand. Short power cuts are necessary to prevent overloading. There's no staff shortage and supply is being managed efficiently.' He urged consumers to declare their actual power load to enable better service delivery. Power cuts at Dera Bassi Civil Hospital created chaos, leaving patients and their attendants struggling in intense heat and humidity. Emergency, OPD, operation theatre, and registration counters plunged into darkness for over an hour, with inverters and generators failing too.
Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Will rope in corporates for upkeep of parks in Mohali under CSR: mayor
In a move to enhance the upkeep of major parks in Mohali, Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu has announced plans to collaborate with corporate houses under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Speaking with the Indian Express, the mayor said, 'Key parks like Nature Park, Silvi Park, City Park in Sector 68, Kargil Park, Rose Garden, and Bougainvillea Park will soon be maintained by corporate groups. Mohali is home to several major corporates that can effectively utilise CSR funds for this purpose.' The mayor said, 'Coordination with these companies will be established soon, allowing them to adopt parks and invest in their upkeep. In return, the Municipal Corporation may grant them the right to display advertisements at these parks, a practice already implemented at various roundabouts across the city.' Taking inspiration from Western models, Sidhu said, 'Small cafeterias can also be set up at parks for morning and evening visitors. These can serve as informal meeting spaces.' He emphasised, 'Corporates are already mandated to spend CSR funds, and channelling those towards city beautification will not only fulfil that requirement but also significantly uplift Mohali's public spaces.' 'If these funds are spent wisely and positively, it will transform the city's appearance,' he added.
Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
F&CC proposes Rs 200-crore plan to save Mohali from monsoon flooding
In a major move to protect several flood-prone areas of Mohali such as Phase 3B2, Phase 4, Phase 5, Sector 70-71, Phase 7, and Phase 11 from rainwater damage during the monsoon, the Mohali Municipal Corporation has formulated a Rs 200-crore project. This initiative aims to provide a permanent drainage solution by channeling rainwater into the Patiala Ki Rao choe. The proposal is backed by a thorough survey and a technically sound drainage model. Speaking to The Indian Express, Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu said, 'Mohali Municipal Corporation does not have the required funds. A letter has been sent to the government requesting financial assistance. As soon as funds are received, the project will be initiated to provide lasting relief to residents from monsoon-related losses.' In a Finance and Contract Committee meeting held Monday, estimates worth Rs 12 crore for new works were approved and work orders worth Rs 13 crore were issued. These include vital civic projects related to sewerage, footpaths, and roads. Present at the meeting were Senior Deputy Mayor Amrik Singh Somal, Deputy Mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi, committee members Jasvir Singh Manku and Anuradha Anand, Chief Engineer Naresh Batta, and other senior officials. Highlighting key decisions, the mayor said, 'To ensure proper rainwater drainage, the city has been divided into four zones for the desilting of clogged drainage pipes. The tendering process is underway, and large-scale cleaning will begin soon.' He added, 'In addition, in coordination with the Soil Conservation Department, tall reed grass along the N-choe (seasonal stream) passing through Mohali will be cleared starting next week.' On urban mobility, he said, 'Mohali's first cycle track has been a major success. Our goal is to connect all residential areas to marketplaces through dedicated cycle tracks. This will not only help reduce parking issues but also promote healthier lifestyles.' Emphasising transparency and fairness, Sidhu said, 'Development work is being carried out in every ward based on need — without any discrimination.' He stressed that officials have been instructed to maintain the highest quality standards and regularly review pending projects. 'Any negligence will result in strict action against the contractors and officials concerned,' he warned.
