'Ludhiana deserves to be among smart cities'

LUDHIANA: If everything goes as planned, Ludhiana will be among the 100 smart cities to be developed across the country as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision.
According to one of the Shiromani Akali Dal cabinet ministers, who is an MLA from Ludhiana, claimed that a survey by central government agency has already started in the city to develop it as smart city.
Confirming the news, irrigation minister Sharanjeet Singh Dhillon, said: "Ludhiana definitely deserves to be a smart city as it is the industrial hub of the state. The survey by a central team to develop Ludhiana as smart city is on. The city is on the list of cities to be developed as smart city."
Going a step ahead, Dhaka MLA Manpreet Ayali said the proposal for developing Ludhiana as smart city was sent by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal after MLAs from Ludhiana requested him to get the same included in the list of smart cities.
"After the new government came up with the concept of smart cities, we insisted deputy chief minister to get the city included in the list. He was happy to do it as he himself has always been quite willing to develop the city," said Ayali. He added that under the project, Ludhiana will have more flyovers, elevated roads, advanced sewerage system, water supply and other modern facilities.
Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu last year had appealed to the prime minister to include Ludhiana in the list of 100 cities and had written to him and union minister Venkaiah Naidu in this regard. He had added that without proper and requisite infrastructural development, the dream of making the city an industrial hub will remain unfulfilled.
Meanwhile, Ludhianvis from various sections of the society made a strong demand for developing the city as Smart City saying the city deserves to be one as it is one of the major industrial cities of North India.
"Our city is the main trading centre of North India and generates good revenue for the state and central government. So, it deserves to have better facilities. Also city know for its rich people gives so much tax to the government so we deserve to have top class infrastructure," said Manjeet Singh, a businessman of BRS Nagar.
Komal Arora, a homemaker of Kitchlu Nagar, said: "Ludhiana has been contributing so much to the country, it deserves to have modern facilities. Hope it is developed as smart city so that we the resident have good facilities."
Amandeep Singh, a dentist from Dugri, said: "The city is called Manchester of India because of its manufacturing activity. Now, if the government has to develop 100 cities, how can they miss this city."
Paramjeet Singh, a businessman of Model Town, said: "Our city is a major revenue generating city of the country which is why we think that it deserves to get its due."
Jaspreet Kaur, a student of BRS Nagar, said: "As main industrial city of North India Ludhiana has been growing at a fast rate, but the development has been haphazard which is not good. Smart city is the answer to this."