In a significant boost to urban infrastructure and civic services, the Finance Committee of the Yamunanagar Municipal Corporation on Friday approved development projects worth ₹13.18 crore during its meeting chaired by Mayor Suman Bahmani at the Municipal Corporation office in Kanhaiya Sahib Chowk.

The meeting, attended by committee members and senior municipal officials, unanimously cleared six major proposals aimed at strengthening sanitation infrastructure, improving road connectivity and upgrading public facilities across various wards of the twin cities.

A major portion of the approved budget—₹6.46 crore—has been earmarked for door-to-door waste collection, waste segregation, transportation and scientific processing of municipal solid waste for the next four months. The proposal is expected to strengthen the city’s sanitation mechanism and improve solid waste management under the municipal limits.

The committee also approved several infrastructure projects across different wards. In Ward 4, road and drain construction from the Government School to Surender Singh’s residence in Bhagwangarh village received administrative approval at an estimated cost of ₹1.16 crore. Another project worth ₹1.72 crore was sanctioned for the construction of revenue roads connecting Nabh village to Garhi Banjara Road and from Rajpal’s residence in Chaneti village to the T-point at Nabh Gohar.

In Ward 5, development works include the construction of roads and drains from Ambala Road to the Police Post and from Shibbu Metal to the adjoining chowk, costing around ₹1.12 crore. The committee also approved road widening and RCC drain construction from Budhiya Chowk to Siddharth Aggarwal Plywood Factory on Amadalpur Road, involving an expenditure of ₹1.52 crore.

Further, road strengthening works from Kusht Ashram to Gymkhana Road and from the District Secretariat to the Red Cross Office in Sector-17 under Ward 7 were sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹1.17 crore.

Addressing the meeting, Mayor Suman Bahmani directed municipal officials to complete all administrative formalities, including fund booking and tender-related procedures, without delay so that the approved projects could commence at the earliest. She stressed that timely execution would ensure faster delivery of civic amenities and improve the quality of life for residents.

The meeting was attended by Finance Committee members Councillor Arun Kumar and Councillor Sandeep Dhiman, Municipal Engineers Muneshwar Bhardwaj, Surender Dahiya, Mrinal Jaiswal, Rajesh Sharma, Chief Sanitary Inspectors Govind Sharma and Vinod Beniwal, besides other officials.

DC Preeti Directs Strict Compliance with NHRC Guidelines to Eliminate Bonded Labour

Deputy Commissioner Preeti has directed all concerned departments to ensure strict compliance with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines for the effective implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, emphasising that the protection of human rights remains one of the district administration’s highest priorities.

The directions were issued during a meeting of the District Vigilance Committee, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, which was attended by committee members, all Sub-Divisional Magistrates of the district, and officials from the Labour Department, including Assistant Labour Commissioner Anjali and Roshan Lal.

Reviewing the implementation of the latest NHRC instructions, the Deputy Commissioner instructed officials to ensure complete adherence to the Commission’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) while dealing with bonded labour cases. She said every department must discharge its responsibilities diligently to ensure that the provisions of the Act are implemented in letter and spirit.

Ms Preeti directed Labour Department officials to ensure that police personnel and photographers accompany inspection teams while collecting evidence during investigations. She also instructed authorities to maintain detailed records of payments made to labourers working at brick kilns and ensure complete compliance with NHRC norms in every case.

The Deputy Commissioner further directed that all brick kiln owners be properly informed about the prescribed SOPs so that they strictly follow the legal provisions governing labour welfare and human rights. She stressed that every complaint must be investigated fairly, transparently and within the stipulated timeframe, with timely submission of action taken reports.

Highlighting the importance of a coordinated administrative approach, she said officials should handle all human rights-related matters with sensitivity, transparency and accountability. She emphasised that no individual’s rights should be violated and called for close coordination among departments to ensure prompt relief to eligible beneficiaries wherever required.

The meeting was attended by Jagadhri SDM Vishwanath, Chhachhrauli SDM Jaspal Singh Gill, Radaur SDM Narendra Kumar, Radaur DSP Sunil Kumar, DFSC Nitish Singla, DIPRO Dr Manoj Kumar, Brick Kiln Association President Bir Singh, Vice-President Shakti Aggarwal, LDM Subhash Chand, committee members Gurmukh Singh, Vijay Kumar, Pankaj Goyal, and other officials.