MCB flouts Act by not calling general house meeting

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 14

More than four months have passed since the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) called a general house meeting. So far, there is no sign of another MC general house meeting going to be convened in the coming days.

This is a clear violation of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act norm as it is mandatory to call a general house meeting once in a month as per the Act.

The last general house meeting was held in October last year, since then no general house meeting has been called. However, various F&CC meetings have taken place.

Another issue, which has also come to the fore, is that MC officials instead of getting approval from the general house meeting, prefers to get the approval in F&CC meeting. In some of the works it has also been witnessed that some tenders or works are allotted in anticipation of the approval from the F&CC.

Congress councillor Jugraj Singh said the mayor and MC officials dreaded to face councillors as they had failed to get works done in the city. People were grappling with the issues, such as sewerage overflow and contaminated water supply. Triveni Company had failed and was not doing any work in the city.

He said the director of the Local Bodies Department should issue a show-cause notice to the mayor and ask him why they were not holding a general house meeting every month as per prescribed in the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act.

Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal said the MC should regularly call a general house meeting as in the meeting the issues and problems related to the city were raised and discussed. The main work of the MC was to address residents’ woes, so I fail to understand why MC officials shy away from calling a general house meeting once a month regularly.

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said they would call a general house meeting in the coming days. The main reason behind the delay is that it takes time to make an agenda of the meeting as first area-wise development works are listed, later the agenda is prepared, so we try maximum works are taken in the agenda.

No meeting held since October last 

• The last general house meeting was held in October last year. Since then, no general house meeting has been called. However, various F&CC meetings have taken place.