News / Author / Harsimran Singh Batra

Harsimran Singh Batra

Articles by Harsimran Singh Batra

Stalled projects, photo-ops take centre stage as Ludhiana councillors, legislators battle for credit

Residents face the brunt as Ludhiana councillors, AAM Aadmi party MLAs exchange barbs over completed and stalled developmental projects

Road construction work abandoned mid-way in Model Town area, Ludhiana. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

cities

Updated on Aug 21, 2022 01:56 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Open dumping of garbage in Ludhiana: 5 years on, project to install static compactors remains on paper only

Since 2018, the MC is working on a project to install 63 compactors at 22 locations in the city at a cost of around ₹30-crore under the Smart City Mission to stop open dumping of garbage in Ludhiana city

After the installation of static compactors, garbage will directly be dumped inside the compactors. The compressed waste will then be shifted to the Ludhiana MC’s main dump site with the help of hook loaders/tippers. (HT FILE)

cities

Published on Aug 19, 2022 11:19 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana: Carcasses of lumpy skin disease-infected animals being dumped in open

In what can possibly spiral into a massive health crisis, carcasses of a large number of animals that succumbed to lumpy skin disease (LSD) are being dumped in the open at an illegal “hadda rodi” (carcass disposal point) on the banks of the Sutlej river in Laddowal area, in violation of the norms set by state government

Carcasses of LSD-infected animals dumped in the open on the banks of the Sutlej river in Ludhiana’s Laddowal area. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

cities

Published on Aug 19, 2022 12:05 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana MC to conduct re-survey of properties to crack down on tax evaders

The re-survey will be conducted under the project to install unique identification (UID) number plates outside properties under the Smart City Mission. A QR code will also be assigned to each and every property in Ludhiana city and all the details regarding the payment of taxes will be available online

Ludhiana MC superintendent Vivek Verma said a project has been prepared under the Smart City Mission and a re-survey would be held to cover all the properties.R (HT FILE)

cities

Published on Aug 17, 2022 10:47 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana | Amid credit row, CM announces regularisation of 3,600 employees

The moves comes despite the pending inquiry over inclusion of ‘dead and non-existent’ employees in the list of contractual staff to be regularised. The CM made the announcement at an event in Ludhiana even as the MC house had, on July 25, approved the resolution of regularisation of employees with a condition that the lists would be scrutinised.

As Congress enjoys majority in the Ludhiana MC house and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is ruling the state, Congress and AAP have been indulging into a credit war over regularisation of employees ahead of municipal elections, expected to take place by the end of the year. (HT PHOTO)

cities

Published on Aug 16, 2022 11:27 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Independence day celebrations: Ludhiana MC to hoist 100ft tall tricolour

The pole to be used to hoist the tricolour was installed at the site months ago and Ludhiana MC is working on the beautification of the area

The civic body will hoist a 100-ft tall tricolour as part of Independence day celebrations in Ludhiana. (HT File)

cities

Published on Aug 13, 2022 01:37 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana MC building branch continues to reel under acute staff shortage

Only one building inspector is deputed in the Ludhiana MC’s Zone C Similarly, three posts for assistant town planner (ATP) and 10 for draftsman are also vacant in the department. Building inspectors are responsible for keeping a check on the illegal constructions at the ground level, while the other staff members deal with the paperwork.

Notably, officials have criticised the MC’s failure to sanction new posts over the last two decades, even as the number of buildings in Ludhiana has increased manifold. (ht file)

cities

Updated on Aug 12, 2022 10:28 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra

Ludhiana | Pakhowal road ROB to take 6 more months for completion

Initiated in December 2020, the authorities had set August 31, 2021 as the deadline for the ₹124-crore project to construct two Road Under Bridge (RUBs) and a ROB at Pakhowal road railway crossing in Ludhiana, but the deadline is being subsequently extended

Traffic chaos witnessed in the area due to the incomplete Pakhowal road ROB project has perturbed commuters and shopkeepers in Ludhiana. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

cities

Updated on Aug 09, 2022 12:24 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

BFUHS V-C row: IMA seeks dismissal of Punjab health minister

IMA Punjab convened a state body meeting in its Ludhiana office on Sunday and questioned the purpose of the minister behind taking the V-C to the room, which was locked for some time, when he could have inspected the entire hospital

IMA also warned the Punjab government of ‘non-cooperation’ or a strike if no action is taken against the health minister. (Image for representational purpose)

cities

Published on Aug 01, 2022 05:27 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Farmers’ agitation: Traffic on Ludhiana-Ferozepur Highway comes to halt

Serpentine queues of vehicles were witnessed as members of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) laid siege to the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Highway near Mullanpur from 11am to 3pm as part of the state-wide agitation against the Union government on Sunday

Farmers under the banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) protesting against the Union government on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Highway on Sunday. (HT Photo)

cities

Published on Jul 31, 2022 10:49 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra and Nikhil Sharma, Ludhiana

Punjab colonisers announce indefinite protest from Aug 8

Stating that they will also stop the work in tehsil offices, the Punjab colonisers said that the agitation will not be lifted until the government fulfills their demands

cities

Published on Jul 29, 2022 01:39 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Bi-hourly rates at Ludhiana MC’s nine parking lots soon

Amid repeated complaints of overcharging, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) has decided to start charging fees on bi-hourly basis at its nine parking lots in the city

As per the new contract norms, after two hours, the charge will increase by 50% of the base fee after every two hours. (HT File)

cities

Published on Jul 29, 2022 12:54 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Fire near dumpsite: NGT directs Ludhiana MC to deposit ₹100cr after 7 charred to death

Ludhiana : The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) to deposit ₹100 crore as interim compensation with the district magistrate in an incident wherein seven persons were charred to death in a fire near main dumpsite on Tajpur road in April this year and failure of the authorities in complying with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

Seven members, including five children, of a ragpicker family were charred to death after a fire broke out in their shanty situated near the main dumpsite of the MC on April 20.

cities

Published on Jul 27, 2022 01:07 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra

Ludhiana MC House approved resolution for regularisation of employees, but list to be revised

The Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) House on Monday approved the resolution for regularisation of contractual employees; however, it was decided that the list of employees being regularised be revised and tabled for approval again, after some councillors alleged that names of staffers who are dead or absent from duty for a prolonged period of time have also been included for regularisation

Councillors interacting with mayor Balkar Sandhu and MC commissioner Shena Aggarwal during the House meeting at the civic body’s Zone-A office on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

cities

Published on Jul 26, 2022 01:00 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

6 months on, Ludhiana MC is yet to operationalise plastic reverse vending machines

Even six months after 10 plastic reverse vending machines were purchased under the Smart City Mission, the Ludhiana municipal corporation is yet to operationalise them

Ten machines were purchased for around <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>50 lakh and are now gathering dust. Two of them have been kept at the civil hospital while location for the others hasn’t been decided. (Gurpreet SIngh/HT)

cities

Published on Jul 25, 2022 01:21 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Punjab govt, not private players, will run water supply project: Nijjar

While launching a five-day stir on Thursday, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) had alleged that the Punjab government was in the process to privatise water supply

Local bodies minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar clarified that the World Bank-backed project is a public utility service and the facilities will not be handed over to private players.

cities

Updated on Jul 22, 2022 11:53 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

148.2 mm rainfall washes away Ludhiana MC’s monsoon preparedness claims

The Ludhiana municipal corporation’s tall claims of monsoon preparedness were washed away by 148.2 mm rainfall on Thursday morning, as most areas of the city were left completely inundated

Municipal corporation workers trying to clear out water from under the bridge near Chand Cinema Hall in Ludhiana on Thursday (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

cities

Published on Jul 22, 2022 01:59 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Punjab farm body opposes “privatisation” of water supply, launches five-day stir

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) on Thursday launched a five-day stir to raise concern over contamination of water bodies due to alleged dumping of untreated industrial waste into them across Punjab

Farm leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan addressing protesters in Ludhiana on Thursday. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Jul 21, 2022 10:37 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Source segregation of waste: 40 motivators to be roped in to encourage residents in Ludhiana

The motivators will also be tasked with recording daily waste collection from all households and handing segregated waste over to garbage collectors. Ludhiana MC joint commissioner Poonampreet Kaur said the civic body process to the hire the motivators is currently underway.

In 2018 too, Ludhiana MC had deployed motivators to stop open defecation and encourage residents to segregate waste. But, the teams were deputed for around six months only. (HT FILE)

cities

Published on Jul 19, 2022 11:43 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Despite collecting ₹31 crore as cow cess, Ludhiana MC fails to rein in stray cattle menace

Despite collecting around ₹31 crore as cow cess in the past five years, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) has failed to find a solution for the stray cattle menace, which has resulted in multiple mishaps on city roads and even led to loss of lives

MC has been collecting cow cess since 2017 and <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>30.95 crore was recovered till May 31 this year. As per officials, only <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>9 crore has been spent so far. (Gurpreet SIngh/HT)

cities

Published on Jul 19, 2022 12:59 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Amid turmoil, LIP councillors stare at uncertain future ahead of Ludhiana MC elections

With the municipal elections expected to be held by the end of the year, Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) councillors in Ludhiana are staring at political oblivion as the party has taken a serious hit after the defeat of the Bains brothers in the assembly elections and subsequent arrest of LIP chief Simarjeet Singh Bains in an alleged rape case

Former MLA Balwinder Bains said the rape case against LIP chief Simarjeet is the result of a political vendetta by opposition parties and the people are aware of it.

cities

Published on Jul 19, 2022 12:52 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana: 7 Covid patients found infected with BA.5 sub-variant

Seven patients from Ludhiana district with Coronoavirus infection have been diagnosed with the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron, which according to experts is highly transmissible

Health officials say Covid patients infected with the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron in Ludhiana are stable and under home isolation. (Representative image)

cities

Published on Jul 17, 2022 01:43 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana | Municipal elections to be held by the end of this year: Minister

Making preparations for the municipal elections, the councillors and aspiring candidates of different parties have already started the field work and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs are inaugurating different development works to woo pubic in Ludhiana

The last municipal elections in Ludhiana were held in the month of February in 2018. (HT FILE)

cities

Published on Jul 15, 2022 11:58 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Smart City Mission: 10 new vehicles added to Ludhiana fire department’s fleet

With this, the number of fire tenders in Ludhiana has gone up to 27. The new vehicles have been purchased at a cost of ₹6 crore. Officials said the vehicles have been delivered and process is on to register these with the transport department.

The new fire tenders at the fire station in Focal Point, Ludhiana, on Thursday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

cities

Updated on Jul 15, 2022 12:12 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana: 39 hotels told to submit property tax returns filed since 2013

After tightening the noose on hospitals for tax evasion, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) has turned its attention towards hotels in the city

The Ludhiana MC authorities will cross check details of the covered area of the hotel premises shared by the owners and whether the tax returns have been filed under commercial category. (Representative image)

cities

Updated on Jul 14, 2022 12:51 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana| 4 rabid stray dogs caught in 6 months

The officials are tight-lipped over the areas from where these rising number of rabid stray dogs have been reported, suspecting that it might trigger panic among residents in Ludhiana

Earlier, the department had also caught four rabid dogs in the last one-and-a half-year. One of the dogs had also bitten around a dozen people in the Civil lines area, Ludhiana. (HT PHOTO)

cities

Published on Jul 13, 2022 11:37 PM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Dengue scare: Councillors, residents press for extensive fogging in their wards in Ludhiana

The councillors said, as per the schedule, prepared by Ludhiana MC officials, there are many wards of the city where fogging will be conducted only twice or thrice in the entirety of July

The councillors demanded that the civic body replan the fogging drive in Ludhiana city so that the residents would not bear the brunt for the failure in taking up the process properly. (HT FILE)

cities

Published on Jul 10, 2022 12:13 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Ludhiana MC tests out e-rickshaws for garbage lifting in four wards

40 e-rickshaws distributed among garbage collectors in Ludhiana, 350 purchased in all at a cost of ₹8.5 crore

Ludhiana MC begins trials of e-rickshaws for door to door collection of waste in Ludhiana on Friday. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Jul 09, 2022 01:24 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Cabinet expansion: Ludhiana fails to get minister once again

Even as five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were inducted as ministers in the Punjab government on Monday as chief minister Bhagwant Mann expanded his cabinet, Ludhiana failed to find representation once again

Two-time Jagraon MLA Sarvjit Manuke was seen as a front runner for a berth in the cabinet, but could not register one.

cities

Updated on Jul 05, 2022 12:14 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Single-use plastic banned from Friday, MC to challan violators, PPCB to seal units

With the state government notifying a ban on single-use plastic from July 1 (Friday), the municipal corporation (MC) and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) are all set to tighten the noose around violators.

A vendor using plastic disposable glasses in Ludhiana on Thursday. While the MC will commence a drive for challaning the violators who will be caught trading or using the banned items from Friday onwards, PPCB officials stated that the department will seal industrial units, if the owner is caught manufacturing single-use plastic items. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

cities

Published on Jul 01, 2022 02:18 AM IST

ByHarsimran Singh Batra, Ludhiana

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

Harsimran Singh Batra

Residents face the brunt as Ludhiana councillors, AAM Aadmi party MLAs exchange barbs over completed and stalled developmental projects

Since 2018, the MC is working on a project to install 63 compactors at 22 locations in the city at a cost of around ₹30-crore under the Smart City Mission to stop open dumping of garbage in Ludhiana city

The pole to be used to hoist the tricolour was installed at the site months ago and Ludhiana MC is working on the beautification of the area

Initiated in December 2020, the authorities had set August 31, 2021 as the deadline for the ₹124-crore project to construct two Road Under Bridge (RUBs) and a ROB at Pakhowal road railway crossing in Ludhiana, but the deadline is being subsequently extended

IMA Punjab convened a state body meeting in its Ludhiana office on Sunday and questioned the purpose of the minister behind taking the V-C to the room, which was locked for some time, when he could have inspected the entire hospital

Serpentine queues of vehicles were witnessed as members of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) laid siege to the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Highway near Mullanpur from 11am to 3pm as part of the state-wide agitation against the Union government on Sunday

Stating that they will also stop the work in tehsil offices, the Punjab colonisers said that the agitation will not be lifted until the government fulfills their demands

Amid repeated complaints of overcharging, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) has decided to start charging fees on bi-hourly basis at its nine parking lots in the city

Even six months after 10 plastic reverse vending machines were purchased under the Smart City Mission, the Ludhiana municipal corporation is yet to operationalise them

While launching a five-day stir on Thursday, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) had alleged that the Punjab government was in the process to privatise water supply

The Ludhiana municipal corporation’s tall claims of monsoon preparedness were washed away by 148.2 mm rainfall on Thursday morning, as most areas of the city were left completely inundated

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) on Thursday launched a five-day stir to raise concern over contamination of water bodies due to alleged dumping of untreated industrial waste into them across Punjab

The motivators will also be tasked with recording daily waste collection from all households and handing segregated waste over to garbage collectors. Ludhiana MC joint commissioner Poonampreet Kaur said the civic body process to the hire the motivators is currently underway.

Despite collecting around ₹31 crore as cow cess in the past five years, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) has failed to find a solution for the stray cattle menace, which has resulted in multiple mishaps on city roads and even led to loss of lives

Seven patients from Ludhiana district with Coronoavirus infection have been diagnosed with the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron, which according to experts is highly transmissible

Making preparations for the municipal elections, the councillors and aspiring candidates of different parties have already started the field work and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs are inaugurating different development works to woo pubic in Ludhiana

With this, the number of fire tenders in Ludhiana has gone up to 27. The new vehicles have been purchased at a cost of ₹6 crore. Officials said the vehicles have been delivered and process is on to register these with the transport department.

After tightening the noose on hospitals for tax evasion, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) has turned its attention towards hotels in the city

The officials are tight-lipped over the areas from where these rising number of rabid stray dogs have been reported, suspecting that it might trigger panic among residents in Ludhiana

The councillors said, as per the schedule, prepared by Ludhiana MC officials, there are many wards of the city where fogging will be conducted only twice or thrice in the entirety of July

40 e-rickshaws distributed among garbage collectors in Ludhiana, 350 purchased in all at a cost of ₹8.5 crore

Even as five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were inducted as ministers in the Punjab government on Monday as chief minister Bhagwant Mann expanded his cabinet, Ludhiana failed to find representation once again

With the state government notifying a ban on single-use plastic from July 1 (Friday), the municipal corporation (MC) and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) are all set to tighten the noose around violators.

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like