Chandigarh: Budget proposals taken up in F&CC meeting, BJP cries foul

Chandigarh, March 13

A table agenda of Budget estimates was today placed in the Finance and Contract Committee meeting and was passed without “full discussion”.

BJP councillor Mahesinder Singh Sidhu said, “First of all, it is not right to bring the agenda in the F&CC as the Secretary, Local Government, is yet to decide whether the March 6 House meeting called for the Budget was legal or not. Secondly, how can Budget estimates be brought in the House first and then in F&CC?”

He alleged, “Even if it was brought in the meeting today, it was not fully discussed. The Mayor called off the meeting abruptly in between the discussion and asked me to read it at home. Is this the way the Budget is discussed. It shows they (AAP-Congress) are not serious about city’s issues and only want to pass agendas for their own political interests.”

He also said the table agenda of water and free parking was distrusted, but was not taken up. On this, the Mayor said, “The BJP has been saying the agenda was not discussed in the F&CC. Now, they are questioning it. Since Budget agenda was long, I asked him to study and it there is any shortcoming let us know, we will do the needful. The agenda was passed with votes in the meeting. They only want to raise irrelevant questions to mislead.”

In the absence of MC Commissioner, Secretary and Opposition councillors, Mayor Kuldeep Kumar had earlier passed the Budget of the civic body in the House. The MC Secretary had written to him to cancel the session, citing legal opinion of the UT’s senior standing counsel.