Chandigarh, July 21: In a major push to accelerate development and strengthen accountability, Chandigarh Mayor Sh. Saurabh Joshi today chaired a five-hour marathon review meeting with the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh's Engineering Wing and fixed target dates for the commencement of every pending development work across the city.

The high-level meeting was attended by Chief Engineer Sh. Sanjay Arora, Superintending Engineers, Executive Engineers, Sub-Divisional Engineers and Junior Engineers of all engineering wings. A comprehensive sector-wise and ward-wise review was undertaken of ongoing works, sanctioned projects, pending tenders, works awaiting allotment and key infrastructure projects across Chandigarh.

In a first-of-its-kind review, Mayor Saurabh Joshi initiated a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) review of all resolutions and estimates approved by the General House and the Finance & Contract Committee (F&CC). He sought project-wise updates on every approved agenda and took serious note of works where implementation had been delayed despite administrative approvals.

Expressing concern over avoidable delays, the Mayor directed the concerned officers to explain the reasons behind every pending project and categorically stated that unnecessary delays in executing approved development works would not be tolerated. He made it clear that while genuine procedural issues would be resolved on priority, accountability for delays would be fixed wherever required.

To ensure time-bound implementation, Mayor Saurabh Joshi fixed specific target dates for the commencement of all pending works awaiting tendering or allotment and directed the Engineering Wing to complete all procedural formalities within the stipulated timelines. He emphasized that every sanctioned project must now move swiftly from approval to execution so that citizens receive the intended benefits without unnecessary delay.

The Mayor conducted a detailed review of roads, storm-water drainage, water supply, sewerage, public infrastructure, parks, markets, community centres and other engineering works. Stressing that infrastructure development remains the Municipal Corporation's highest priority, he instructed all engineers to expedite project execution while maintaining the highest standards of quality, transparency and technical excellence.

Mayor Saurabh Joshi also directed all engineering officers to submit, within one week, a comprehensive progress report on every estimate approved by the General House and F&CC, every allotted work and every project presently under execution. He informed the officers that another review meeting would be convened shortly to assess compliance with the targets, review progress and identify responsibility wherever unjustified delays are found.

The Mayor further instructed officers to strengthen coordination among all engineering wings, undertake regular field inspections and proactively remove bottlenecks affecting project implementation. He stressed that continuous monitoring, timely decision-making and effective coordination are essential to ensure that development projects are completed within the prescribed timelines.

Reaffirming his commitment to transparent, accountable and citizen-centric governance, Mayor Saurabh Joshi said that every decision taken by the General House and the Finance & Contract Committee reflects the aspirations of the people of Chandigarh and must be implemented in both letter and spirit. He asserted that the Municipal Corporation will continue to closely monitor every development project to ensure visible progress on the ground and deliver modern, efficient and sustainable civic infrastructure for the city.

The Mayor said that the era of files remaining pending is over and that the focus of the Municipal Corporation is now on speedy execution, strict accountability and visible development, ensuring that every approved project reaches completion within the stipulated timeframe.