Tussle over Dy Mayors’ seating arrangement

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, October 13

Only after nine days of the drama here during the joining of new MC Commissioner Bakhtawar Singh on October 4, another high voltage drama was witnessed at the Municipal Corporation (MC) office today when the two ruling parties of the MC — SAD and BJP — were locked in a tussle.

Both Deputy Mayors Surinder Singh Walia and Ranjit Singh Khurana, belonging to the SAD, came to the new Mayor’s office and ‘placed’ their chairs beside the Mayor’s seat at the MCoffice this morning.

Both Deputy Mayors Walia and Khurana said they came to their old offices today, but found both offices locked and their name plates installed on the wall missing.

They immediately contacted senior SAD leaders and even Phagwara MLA Som Parkash, who asked them to sit in the Mayor’s new office for the time being.

It was learnt that the Mayor urged the Commissioner to take the possession of the entire library hall and the old offices of the Mayor and both Deputy Mayors to run the Administrative Block in that complex. Later, he handed over the keys of all three offices to Assistant Commissioner Surjit Singh.

It was also learnt that the offices of the Deputy Mayors were supposed to be shifted to the heritage building of the MC.

Mayor Khosla said he had no objection to seating Deputy Mayors in his office. They are always welcome, said the Mayor. Meanwhile some Congress councilors, including Sanjeev Bugga, who is also the BCC president, and Munish Parbhakar, welcomed both Deputy Mayors in the Mayor’s office.

SP Parminder Singh Bhandal said the role of the police was confined to maintaining law and order.

“The matter is being looked into and legal advice has been sought from the District Attorney before taking action,” he added.