The Ludhiana civic body has expressed confidence in completing all pending projects under the Smart City Mission by the central government’s fixed deadline of March 2025. However, key projects that were initiated late in the timeline are yet to see tangible progress at the ground level, raising concerns about their timely execution. 
Among the lagging projects are the transformation of the Nehru Rose Garden and the construction of bridges at Sidhwan Canal and Buddha Dariya. These projects are still at the tendering stage, further complicating their completion within the stipulated time frame. 

After a decade-long wait, the Nehru Rose Garden is finally set for a makeover. Recently, tenders were floated to rejuvenate the garden at an estimated cost of ₹8.80 crore. As part of the contract, the selected contractor will be responsible for maintaining the garden for one year after the completion of the project. 
Similarly, the tendering process for constructing two new bridges, one on Sidhwan Canal and the other on Buddha Dariya, has also faced obstacles. An earlier round of tenders did not yield successful bids, prompting authorities to issue a fresh round. These bridges, planned under the Ludhiana Smart City Mission, aim to alleviate traffic congestion in the city’s inner areas. 

The proposed bridge on Sidhwan Canal carries an estimated cost of ₹11.96 crore, while the Buddha Dariya bridge on Gaughat Road is pegged at ₹2 crore. Despite being considered critical to the city’s infrastructure, technical issues have hindered progress. Many firms participating in the tender process failed to meet the technical bid requirements for the Sidhwan Canal project. Meanwhile, contractors have shown little interest in the Buddha-Dariya bridge proposal. 
This isn’t the first instance of delays plaguing such initiatives. Proposals for bridge construction previously faced objections from the Chief Engineer when submitted to the Chandigarh headquarters. Currently, of all the proposed projects, only the tender for a bridge on Buddha Dariya in the eastern constituency has seen initial steps toward execution. 

While funds for these projects are secured under the Smart City Mission, their prolonged delay has raised doubts about meeting the central government’s deadline. With fresh tenders now floated, the municipal corporation hopes to overcome these hurdles and expedite the work. However, given the tight timeline and earlier setbacks, questions linger about whether these critical projects will be delivered on time.