MC sub-panels give zero performance

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6

The 14 sub-committees of the Municipal Corporation (MC) have proved useless even as less than three months have been left for their tenure to come to an end.

Most of the sub-committees have met only once without any agenda to discuss. The road and house tax assessment committees are however said to have sat twice.

Members of sub-committees, including road, water supply and house tax assessment, have to discuss agendas of city development sent to them by MC officials. However, they hardly took up any substantial issue for discussion and recommendation.

“The year is about to end but most sub-panels have met just once and no development agenda has been brought to these committees,” said Devinder Singh Babla, a member of the road committee.

“During the panel meeting recently, it was decided that a broken road near Chandigarh Golf Club will be inspected on Friday. However, only two members, SAD councillor Hardeep Singh and I, turned up there. It seems BJP councillors, who are also on the sub-panels, have no interest in the city’s development,” said the Congress leader, who is also Leader of the Opposition. He added that over Rs 10,000 was spent on single sub-committee meeting.

Hardeep Singh said only the chairman of the committee was required to be there along with the local councillor.

“Members do not have much interest in committees as only few of them turn up even during meetings. Their suggestions are not entertained much in the MC House,” said a BJP councillor.

It took over six months for the MC and the UT Administration to form the sub-committees of the civic body. The sub-panels started holding meeting from August.

Mayor Davesh Moudgil said, “Meetings have to be called by the panel chairman, not the Mayor. I had been fighting for funds since January and have got them. We performed in tough times. Earlier, fixed deposits were used to meet expenses. Moroever, even if the committees do not have an agenda, they can send suggestions to the House. Independent, SAD and Congress councillors are also on the panels.”

Had not delivered last year too

These sub-committees, which have one-year tenure, had failed to deliver last year too when most of these panels did not meet even once. Agendas approved by other sub-committees were never executed, defeating the purpose for which the panels are formed.

Each sub-committee has nine members and holds a financial power of Rs 15 lakh. Road and water supply and sewage disposal committees can, however, approve development works up to Rs 25 lakh. Each member of the sub-panel gets Rs 500 as honorarium for attending a meeting.