This story is from December 12, 2018

If MC is bankrupt, LIT is no better

If MC is bankrupt, LIT is no better
Ludhiana: The Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) is also on the verge of financial crisis like the municipal corporation (MC), and seeing the situation, officials have been advised not to float tenders for development projects, unless those works are of utmost importance. Along with localities under LIT, even areas in MC jurisdiction will get affected.
These works were proposed by cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Congress MLA Sanjay Talwar in the past one-and-a-half years. The department has also postponed the already floated tenders for installation of static compactors and leisure valley.
LIT chairman PS Gill, in a letter to officials, has warned against unnecessary use of funds, because the department is left only with Rs2.25 crore in its kitty. The situation can deteriorate more in the coming days, because LIT does not have other sources of revenue generation, except recovery of water supply and other dues. At the moment, the department does not have any fresh scheme going, and they started a demand survey for the construction of Atal Apartments.
One of the officials claimed that almost Rs1 crore goes in the form of salaries to employees, and since no provision was kept for increasing revenue, the department has reached this pathetic condition. He said the MC is in poor financial condition, so MLAs are approaching LIT for their development works, but in fact even LIT does not have funds now.
Meanwhile, for works like installation of static compactors and construction of Leisure Valley in East and West constituency, LIT had already floated tenders, but even these tenders were postponed by the trust due to financial paucity. Still, there are several works lined up like construction of roads in Manjit Nagar, installation of interlocking tiles in Preet Nagar, construction of roads in Industrial Area, open garden gyms in many parts of the city, and construction of a parking lot for Bharat Nagar Extension.
However, officials are refusing to comment, but admitted LIT’s poor financial condition. MLA Sanjay Talwar claimed: “Earlier, we were all busy in elections in five states, so we could not concentrate on works here in the city. But now, we are free. Even local bodies minister Navjot Sidhu is free, so we will talk to him and get all works done in the city for the betterment of residents.”
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