Councillors pull up MC officials

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, January 20

BJP and Congress councillors pulled up municipal corporation officials today on the issue of corruption and agents’ active connivance during the General House in the conference hall of the Mini-Secretariat.

Mayor Suresh Verma chaired the meeting. Veena Hooda, MC Commissioner, along with all officials, was present. It was held 14 months after the last meeting.

The meeting witnessed uproarious scenes when BJP councillors Harish Sharma, Jai Kumar and Lokesh Nagru raised voice against corruption and agents being active in the MC in connivance with officials.

The councillors alleged that no file, especially those of no-objection certificate (NOC) for commercial purposes and house tax, had been passed without interference of commission agents active in the MC.

If anyone went directly to the MC officials or any staff member, the file would not be cleared at any cost, they alleged.

Harish Sharma threw a file requiring NOC on the floor in the meeting hall. A person had submitted his file six month back and deposited Rs 12.5 lakh as fee for NOC three months back, but his file was not approved yet, he alleged.

Jai Kumar disclosed some names of agents active in the corporation. One person whose name was announced was sitting in the hall and he opposed the councillor.

The MC Commissioner ordered the police to shunt him out. All councillors of the the BJP and Congress joined hands on the issue of corruption and demanded an inquiry.

Around 50 agenda items were passed by the House, including 20 proposed development works. The agenda of merging Haryana Urban Development Authority sectors into areas under the corporation was passed by the House today.

The House passed a proposal that the development charge for unauthorised colonies of Rs 1,000 per square yard should be reduced to Rs 125 per square yard.

They also passed the proposal that registration of plots should be open and development charge should be collected at the time of registration.