Panchkula MC House meeting on February 19

Panchkula, February 13

While the issue of the bifurcation of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the civic body will hold its first House meeting of 2018 on February 19. In the first meeting, the MC will pass its budget for the next session.

MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said they would prepare a draft budget after holding consultation with the councillors and other stakeholders. “The focus of budget will be sanitation, road construction and the solid waste management,” he said.

Last year, an annual budget of Rs 102.40 crore was passed, of which Rs 56.84 crore was kept for development works.

Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed recommendations of a committee, which was headed by the Ambala Divisional Commissioner. The panel had recommended to maintain the corporation status for the Panchkula civic body but separating Kalka and Pinjore from it. The committee had also recommended a common civic body for Kalka and Pinjore. The case is now listed for further hearing on February 27.

In December last year, the Panchkula MC General House, in which a majority of councillors are from the Congress and the INLD, had rejected the dissolution of the Municipal Corporation and had resolved to maintain the Panchkula MC, including Kalka and Pinjore.

On the demand of Kalka MLA Latika Sharma, the Urban Local Bodies Department, Haryana, had sought a report from the Ambala Divisional Commissioner in this regard. Latika Sharma had written to the Haryana Chief Minister, submitting that under the Municipal Corporation, no development had taken place in Kalka and Pinjore. Hence, Pinjore and Kalka should be separated from the Panchkula MC. — TNS