Confusion prevails during MC meeting

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 13

Senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal and deputy mayor Gurinderpal Kaur Mangat on Wednesday walked out from the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) meeting alleging that they had not been consulted on the agenda.

Lashing out at Mayor Balwant Rai Nath and MCB officials, they said, “They don’t consult anything with us about what is to be done. We look like mere puppets. They just want us to put our signatures on the agenda.”

After both leaders walked out at the beginning of the meeting, only a few items related to development works in the agenda were passed.

Most of the items were kept pending for three days over confusion that some projects had been taken over by the Bathinda Improvement Trust.

It was decided that within three days, it would be cleared as to which works had been included by BIT so that no doubling of tenders happens.

The works which were approved on Wednesday were roads and drainage work at a cost of Rs 23.35 lakh in the trans-railway area and Rs 1.02 lakh work of laying of premix at Karnail Singh Nagar.

Even the work of keeping motor operator in the Civil Lines area and Model Town disposal has also been given green signal along with the sale of scrap and newspapers.

Although, various development work items have been kept pending for a few days, it is not yet clear that from where the MCB would bring money for completing the projects.

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath failed to give any reply on the question of delaying some of these works for the past six months when the MCB didn’t have funds.

The mayor claimed that contractors take money by the time the work is completed and they would arrange money by then.

Earlier too in 2015, deputy mayor Gurinderpal Kaur Mangat had protested against the Mayor for ignoring her and other officials while taking decisions on development works in the city.

Even the deputy mayor had come to the Municipal Corporation office but didn’t enter her office as a mark of protest.

She remained seated in senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal’s office. Later, the issue was resolved after the intervention senior leaders.

Items kept pending

• After both leaders walked out at the beginning of the meeting, only a few items related to development works in the agenda were passed. 
• Most of the items were kept pending for three days over confusion that some projects had been taken over by the Bathinda Improvement Trust.