RUB inauguration plaque changed at last moment

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 11

High drama was witnessed before the inauguration of a railway underbridge (RUB) by MP Kirron Kher at Mani Majra today when area councillor Jagtar Singh Jagga came to know that his name was missing on the inauguration plaque installed by the UT Engineering Department.

Jagtar Singh immediately took up the matter with UT Chief Engineer Mukesh Anand.

Sources said officials of the Engineering Department justified the action on a plea that since the RUB was constructed by the Administration, there was no need to have the names of the area councillor or the Mayor on the plaque.

Jagtar Singh also contacted Mayor Rajesh Kalia over the issue. Later, both of them raised the issue before Kirron, who supported the stand taken by the councillor.

Sources said Kirron took up the matter with UT Adviser Manoj Parida and he ordered changing the plaque. Following this, a new plaque bearing the names of the area councillor and the Mayor was installed.

Jagtar Singh said the construction of the RUB was a joint effort of the Municipal Corporation and the UT Administration. He said since the major work under the project was shifting of underground services, which was done by the MC, ignoring the elected representatives was not justified. Mayor Rajesh Kalia said it was not right to ignore the elected representatives at such functions.

This is the second time when the bickering between UT officials and councillors came to the fore at public functions.

A few days ago, the Mayor got agitated when he was not invited to a function organised by the UT Administration.

The Mayor reached the function uninvited.

He also took up the matter with the Adviser.