AAP councillor alleges fraudulent works in MC

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 25

Aam Aadmi Party leader and councillor Amarjit Singh Chawla has alleged fraudulent working in the Municipal Corporation.

He alleged that the Municipal Corporation had hired a private firm to sweep and clean 91-km area around the Golden Temple. The MC has been paying Rs 2.75 lakh per month to the firm for each kilometer and thus Rs 2.50 crore are being paid every month to the company.

Also, Chawla claimed that the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) has also hired a company for mechanical sweeping in Ranjit Avenue area. “The AIT has been paying Rs 14,000 per month for every one-kilometre stretch of the road,” he said. He got the information through an RTI enquiry.

“Two government agencies have been hiring a private company for similar job. Both the companies have been using similar machines and equipments. One is charging Rs 14,000 per month and the other Rs 2.75 lakh. The firm hired by the MC belongs to a senior Akali leader of Delhi. The SAD-BJP government accommodated the Akali minister’s firm by paying him 20 times more than the actual price,” said Amarjit Singh Cahwla, AAP leader.

Chawla said he had raised a voice against the firm’s contract during a MC house meeting in November last year, but the incumbent office bearers ignored.

“If the MC recruits one sweeper for one kilometre on Rs 20,000 per month, it would be cheaper than mechanical sweeping. Why did it hire a company to pay it 20 times more than manual sweeping and cleaning? The government should investigate the matter and cancel the contract with the private firm. The MC is already facing financial crisis,” added Chawla.

He alleged that MC had two sweeping machines. The officials deliberately took them off road to hire the firm.

Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said, “The same firm has been doing mechanical sweeping in Mohali on the same rates. A representative of the state government hired the company for Amritsar. The councillor is not aware about the job responsibilities of the firm. The job responsibilities of the firm hired by the Amritsar ImprovementTrust and the firm hired by the Municipal Corporation are quite different.”