Hundreds of streetlight points across Ludhiana have remained defunct, dysfunctional or missing for weeks, even as the Municipal Corporation (MC) pays more than Rs 1 crore every month to a private company for maintaining nearly 1.20 lakh streetlight points.The glaring gap between the expenditure and the ground situation has raised questions over the monitoring of the maintenance contract, with residents alleging that complaints regarding faulty lights are not being addressed within the stipulated 48 hours.Streetlights in several areas, including Focal Point Phases 4 and 5, Dugri, Southern Bypass, Rahon Road and Jamalpur, among others, have reportedly remained non-functional for prolonged periods. In some places, residents claim that light fittings or poles are missing, while in others, existing points have remained dysfunctional despite repeated complaints.The issue is particularly significant as the private agency is being paid more than Rs 1 crore a month for maintenance. Residents have questioned why the civic body continues to incur such a large expenditure when basic complaints are allegedly taking weeks to resolve.The penalty mechanism has also come under scrutiny. Sources said the MC generally imposes penalties of around Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 on the agency when lapses are detected. However, residents have questioned whether such penalties are adequate when compared with the monthly payment being made to the firm.“The MC is paying crores every year for streetlight maintenance, but residents are still forced to travel through dark stretches. If a complaint is supposed to be resolved within 48 hours, there should be a clear record of how many complaints were actually attended to within the deadline,” said Sachin Aggarwal, a resident of Focal Point.A Dugri resident, Ramneet Kaur, said the problem becomes more serious on roads with heavy traffic and limited lighting. “There are stretches where several lights remain off together. People have to rely on vehicle headlights. The MC should ensure that the agency is held accountable instead of waiting for complaints to pile up,” she said.Residents also demanded that the MC make public the number of complaints received, the number resolved within 48 hours and the penalties recovered from the private agency.The prolonged failure of streetlights has also raised concerns over road safety, particularly for pedestrians, two-wheeler riders and women travelling at night. Several poorly lit stretches have become a recurring complaint among residents.MC Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar acknowledged that complaints regarding dysfunctional streetlights had reached her.“I too have received complaints in this regard. I will check and take strict action against the firm if I find anything wrong,” she said.