P’kula MC House saw only 18 monthly meetings in past 5 yrs

Rajinder S Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 24

While the five-year term of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation is coming to an end on July 3, only 18 House meetings were held in these past five years.

As per the MC Act, there should be minimum one House meeting every month.

Panchkula Mayor Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia blamed the Haryana Government for not cooperating with the Municipal Corporation.

Officials were appointed by the Haryana Government and instead of working they created hurdles in the functioning of the Municipal Corporation. As per the Act, one monthly meeting was mandatory but the officials did not hold meetings, which hampered the MC’s functioning, said Mayor Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia.

Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta could not be contacted.

The last MC House meeting was held in February this year. 

The Mayor had remained at loggerheads with MC Commissioners and local BJP MLA Gian Chand Gupta. Last year, two MC Commissioners were transferred by the Haryana Government. 

Upinder Kaur writes to Rajesh Jogpal

Recently, Mayor Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia had shot off a letter to the MC Commissioner for holding the monthly House meeting as it has not been done since February 19. Panchkula MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal, in his reply to the Mayor, had written to provide a list of the agenda for which the meeting is demanded.

Controversy over June 21 meeting

Last year, there was a controversy over June 21 House meeting. The meeting was attended by 15 councillors, including the Mayor. The BJP and the nominated councillors had stayed away from the meeting. Even Panchkula and Kalka MLAs did not attend the meeting, which was chaired by the Mayor. A total of 30 agendas were passed during the meeting, while the decision on three was deferred. The meeting lasted more than an hour. As there was no MC official present, the Mayor’s PA had marked the attendance of the councillors and recorded the proceedings of the House. Later, MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal had, in December 2017, stated that the minutes of June 21 meeting cannot be confirmed as it was held in the absence of MC officials.

Incomplete works

• Setting up of a solid waste management plant, which also affected Panchkula’s ranking in the Swachh Survekshan 2018.
• Construction of new bus queue shelters. The MC had recently demolished old bus queue shelters, but new ones are yet to be constructed.
• Cleaning of road gullies in Panchkula. The MC has floated tenders three times, but contractors not coming forward for work.