3 women councillors get notices for ‘proxy rule’

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Fatehgarh Churian, November 28

The Local Bodies Department has issued notices to three women councillors in the Fatehgarh Churian Municipal Council — Harkirtan Kaur, Kamlesh and Pratibha Rani — asking why action should not be initiated  for sending their husbands to House meetings. 

They are to submit an explanation in 21 days. With the practice of ‘proxy’ rule by husbands of women representatives rampant in Punjab, the action is expected to have a rippling effect.

According to the rules, if a councillor is absent for three successive meetings, he or she is liable to be disqualified. These women councillors were absent for the past three years. Given the fact that a House meeting is held every month,  their ‘proxies (husbands)’ attended at least 36 meetings.

A notice has been issued to MC chief Baljit Singh Chauhan for having allowed the husbands an honorarium of Rs 500 per meeting even as Executive Officer Bhupinder Singh has been asked to explain why he had allowed the husbands to be there.

The MC is controlled by the Akalis, who allege they are being targeted by Cabinet Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, the sitting MLA, who stoutly denies the charge.

Sources say the husbands would fake the signatures to claim the money. “The councillors defrauded the government. Action will be taken and dues recovered. Proceedings should also be launched against their spouses and the MC chief,” an officer said.

“The government introduced reservation to empower women, but the councillors empowered their husbands instead,” RTI activist Sukhchain Singh said.