Amritsar Mayor issue: Over 50 Congress councillors turn up at MC office, seek special meeting

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 21

In a dramatic turn of events, over 50 Congress councillors converged at the Municipal Corporation office to hold the special meeting of the House despite it being already called off.

Chronology of events

• February 24: 45 councillors sign a communique seeking no-confidence motion against the Mayor
• February 25: Congress councillors again signed a letter seeking no-confidence motion against Rintu and election for a new Mayor
• March 4: Congress councillors serve 72-hour notice to call their own meeting in case the MC fails to do so
• March 16: 40 councillors emerge, sign another letter seeking cancellation of the meeting calling for no-confidence motion against the Mayor

There is no legal sanctity to a meeting held without the valid approval of the Mayor. The councillors who came on Monday, orally aired their grievances but did not submit anything in writing. As per Section 55 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, the power to convene and call off meetings of the House vests with the Mayor. — Sandeep Rishi, MC Commissioner

Angered at the cancellation of the meeting, over 50 Congress councillors, having a strength of 62 in the House, met MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi at his office over the matter. Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi and councillor Vikas Soni were among them.

Having a majority in the House, Congress councillors are keen on holding a session to bring in a no-confidence motion against Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, who had pulled a surprise after switching over to the Aam Aadmi Party, prior to the Assembly poll. However, the Mayor called off the meeting on March 16 on the basis that a communiqué containing signatures of 40 councillors reached him stating their allegiance with him and requested that there was no need to convene the meeting.

Raman Bakshi said two separate letters were released within 22 days. The first letter on February 24 requested the Mayor to convene a meeting and the latter requested him to call off the meeting. He said in both letters, there were signatures of 12 Congress councillors, who joined them on Monday to protest against the move of the Mayor for not calling the no-confidence motion. He said as per the law, the Mayor has to call a House meeting in case 25 councillors forward a no-confidence motion. He claimed that the special meeting of the House can neither be postponed nor cancelled.

When approached, MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said there was no legal sanctity to a meeting held without the valid approval of the Mayor. The councillors who came on Monday, orally aired their grievances but did not submit anything in written. As per Section 55 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976, the power to convene and call off meetings of the House vests with the Mayor. As per the protocol, before holding the session of the House, proceedings of the agenda is prepared and all other arrangements are put in place, which have not been done in this case.

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