Approach officials instead of media: Dev to councillors

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 2

Four days after councillors, cutting across party lines, slammed officials of the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation at a meeting of the MC House over bureaucratic interference in the functioning of the civic body, UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev spoke on the issue for the first time today.

Replying to queries from mediapersons, the UT Adviser, who was attending DRISHTIKONE, organised jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the UT Administration at the CII Northern Region Headquarters in Sector 31, said, “Instead of raising these issues before the media, the councillors should approach the officials concerned to sort these out”. “The officials are ready to listen to their problems,” he said.

The Adviser said clear directions had been issued to UT and MC officials to work as a team with the councillors for the overall development of the city.

At the recent MC House meeting, councillors had targeted UT and MC officials.

Be it assigning the ex officio charge of the Additional Commissioner in the civic body to the Subdivisional Magistrates (SDMs) of all three divisions (Central, East and South) or giving financial powers of Rs 25 lakh to the MC Commissioner, which was higher than the financial powers of 11 MC sub-committees, the councillors had condemned all decisions of the UT Administration that weaken the democratic set-up in the city.

Decisions that triggered differences

•  Assigning ex officio charge of the Additional Commissioner in the civic body to Subdivisional Magistrates (SDMs) of all three divisions (Central, East and South).
• Giving financial powers of Rs 25 lakh to the MC Commissioner, which is higher than the financial powers of 11 MC sub-committees.
• Imposing house tax on city residents despite the MC House rejecting the proposal.
• Taking a decision on setting up stalls in the city during the festival season without consulting the councillors.
• The MC Commissioner’s decision to reject agendas of walls in neighbourhood parks, which was passed by the F&CC.
• Installation of swings in the Plaza in Sector 17 without informing the area councillor. Tenders have also been floated in this regard.
• UT, MC officials visiting different wards without informing elected and nominated councillors of the area.
• Bypassing the councillors in the smart city camps.
• Decision to outsource electricity poles to telecom companies without bringing any such agenda before the MC House.