Left in the Lurch: Mohali's TDI City Residents Feel the Municipal Cold Shoulder

It’s a peculiar situation, isn’t it? Residents of TDI City in Mohali are, quite frankly, fuming. And honestly, who could blame them? They've just been informed, rather unceremoniously it seems, that their meticulously planned community has been—wait for it—excluded from the very Mohali Municipal Corporation limits they thought they were a part of. This isn't just a bureaucratic footnote; it’s a decision that, in their eyes, rips away the promise of basic civic amenities.

Think about it for a moment: what does living within municipal limits actually guarantee? Things like consistent garbage collection, those vital streetlights that banish the dark, and roads that aren't a perpetual obstacle course. These are not luxuries; they're the bedrock of urban living, the very services that give a sense of belonging and order. But for many in TDI City, this foundational assurance has suddenly been yanked away, leaving them, well, in a state of genuine limbo.

The anger, it’s palpable. When the Mohali Municipal Corporation was first established, back in 2017, there was a collective sigh of relief, a sense of progress. Many areas, including some pockets of TDI City, were absorbed into its embrace. It seemed like a natural evolution, a step towards a more organized, better-serviced future. But now, as if by some invisible hand, large swathes of the area developed by TDI Infratech have found themselves on the outside looking in. It’s a head-scratcher, truly.

And so, a rather unsettling fear creeps in for these homeowners: the specter of continually shelling out hefty maintenance charges to the developer, TDI Infratech, only to receive, to be blunt, nothing much in return. It’s a bitter pill, wouldn’t you agree, to pay for what feels like empty promises, especially when the basic civic fabric—things like regular garbage collection, those essential streetlights illuminating the dark, and well-maintained roads—seems to unravel before your very eyes. For many, it conjures up images of a past they thought they had left behind.

A resident, for example, articulated this frustration rather sharply: “We have already been paying maintenance charges to the developer for all these services. But honestly, the services provided are often dismal, far from what one expects or deserves.” It paints a rather bleak picture, doesn't it?

This isn't just a handful of disgruntled individuals, either. No, the residents have rallied, forming an association—the TDI City Residents Welfare Association. They're not just complaining; they’re mobilizing, planning protests, and even considering a legal challenge to this rather bewildering exclusion. Their message is clear, emphatic even: if some parts of TDI City are deemed fit for municipal inclusion, why on earth aren't others, developed by the very same builder, afforded the same consideration? It smells of an arbitrary distinction, a kind of selective neglect.

The history of Mohali’s municipal expansion is, admittedly, a bit of a winding road. There have been previous inclusions, expansions in 2013 and again in 2017, drawing in areas like Jujhar Nagar, Balongi, and more. But this latest decision, enacted by the Department of Local Government, feels different, almost a step backward for these specific communities. The residents, after all, believe they meet the criteria, or at least should, for full inclusion.

Ultimately, this isn't merely about administrative lines on a map. It’s about people, about families who have invested their life savings and hopes into homes, only to find themselves grappling with uncertainty over fundamental services. It’s a call for fairness, for consistency, and above all, for the basic dignity of proper civic provision. And in truth, their fight is just beginning.