Clear proposals only if there are funds, Local Bodies Dept tells MCs

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 9

The Local Bodies Department has sent a letter to the Municipal Corporations of the state, asking them only to clear proposals for which the funds are already present with the corporations.

If implemented, the development works worth crores will be stopped. The letter has come as a shocker for the Mayor as well as councillors.

The letter reads: “It has come to the notice that in General House meetings, when the agenda related to various development works are cleared, the amount of funds present with the corporation is never discussed, due to which even in the absence of funds, the estimates of lakhs of amount are passed. And when the department fails to make payments, it faces litigation.”

The letter further states that from now onwards, proposals will only be passed if there are funds available, and no extra grants will be demanded from the department.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jagdish Raja said he did not accept such orders. “We know better that what is needed here in the city for its development and we reject such orders. Those sitting in Chandigarh don’t know anything,” he said.

Raja said Chandigarh could not interfere in their development works.

“They have asked us to seek prior permission before clearing any estimate which is not possible at all,” the Mayor said. We will never let this happen and will reject it in the next meeting,” he added.