BJP councillors call Chandigarh Admn ‘undemocratic’, mull quitting

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors have opened a front against the UT Administration over financial crunch plaguing the Municipal Corporation (MC) as well as its “indifference” towards public representatives.

Taking a firm stand over the issue of financial crunch, the councillors today weighed options, including submitting a collective resignation to the Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator against what they called as the “undemocratic attitude” of the Administration.

The main grievance of the BJP councillors was the city’s development works having come to a standstill due to the unavailability of funds. They criticised the Administration for not diverting more funds to help the civic body.

The meeting of councillors was held at the BJP office in Sector 33 under the chairmanship of Jatinder Pal Malhotra, president of the party’s local unit. A majority of the 16 BJP councillors, including Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, attended the meeting.

One of the councillors who attended the meeting said the condition of roads, footpaths, markets and parks of the city had been deteriorating by the day.

They were of the view that if the financial crisis continued longer, they would be unable to face the electorate.

“Renovation of community centres, maintenance of public toilets, all have been badly affected,” said Malhotra, while noting that there was no point of having elected representatives if their voices were not heard.

The councillors were also vexed at the steep hike in the collector’s rates and the property tax, calling it as “unjustified”, “one-sided” and “undemocratic” decision-making of the Administration.

Another councillor who attended the meeting said the Administration had been taking decisions unilaterally, ignoring the sentiments of the elected representatives.