Fund crunch: F&CC members say futile to hold meeting

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 25

Realising that the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda, has no funds to initiate projects, the Finance and Contract Committee meeting was today cancelled after it was unanimously decided by its members that it was a futile exercise to approve projects and then keep them pending.

Elaborating on the minutes of the meeting, Municipal Commissioner Sanyam Aggarwal said, “The F&CC meeting began as scheduled but later it was discussed that the MCB was yet to receive funds from the state government. All members considered it best to discuss and approve or reject the works on the agenda during the next meeting, which will be convened only after funds are received.”

Notably, the cash-strapped MCB had passed several developmental works during the F&CC meetings convened over the past few months, but due to paucity of funds, many projects are yet to see the light of the day.

During today’s meeting, the committee members were to discuss works pertaining to purchase and instalation of motors at main disposal, purchasing cement, covering road gullies, maintenance of park along the Bakshi road, laying of interlocking tiles at Ahata Niaz Mohammad, Chandsar Basti, Kikar Dass Mohalla, Malviya Nagar, Vishal Nagar and other roads, renovation of fountain near the CIA staff office, relaying of Surkhpeer road, development of green belt at Joggers’ Park. The total cost of these projects is Rs 4.40 crore.

Councillors share their grievances

As the meeting began, councillor Harwinder Sharma accompanied by councillors Anjana Rani, Harpal Singh, Harjinder Singh, Rajwinder Singh and Raj Mehra, husband of councillor Kamlesh Rani, reached the meeting venue and raised their issues pertaining to various works hanging fire in their wards.

Harvinder Sharma said the MCB had been delaying the work of relaying the roads in several wards by giving the excuse that not enough contractors came for bidding and hence, tenders could not be allotted.

“We demanded that in case the MCB has not been able to allot the tenders, it should at least set aside some money to take up the maintenance work in the wards where the roads are in bad condition,” Sharma said.