Chandigarh MC House approves free 20K litre water, parking

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, March 11

Without sharing any roadmap or planning for implementation, the AAP-Congress alliance got agenda pertaining to free 20,000 litre water per month per household and free parking in the market lots passed in the MC House today.

In an apparent counter move, the BJP put up table agenda on providing free 40,000 litre water instead. However, Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor did not consider the agenda.

Free water and parking are expected to be big issues during the coming Lok Sabha elections. Sources said the MC would evaluate the two agenda items passed by the House financially, administratively and legally before sending these to the Secretary, Local Government (SLG), i.e. UT Home Secretary.

Marshals remove BJP councillors

• Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor suspended councillors Saurabh Joshi and Kanwarjit Singh Rana for a day after they entered into an argument with AAP councillor Jasbir Singh Laddi.
• Laddi had sought the removal of the memorial gate on ex-councillor Malkiat Singh, who died during a study tour.
• There was pandemonium in the House when Laddi appealed for the rejection of agenda pertaining to laying pipelines in Burail village represented by BJP councillor Rana.
• The BJP accused AAP of being opposed to the development of UT villages. Councillors also clashed over free water agenda. Subsequently, the Mayor ordered the removal of BJP councillors from the House.

Sources said the MC would evaluate the two agenda items financially, administratively and legally before sending these to the Secretary, Local Government (SLG), i.e. UT Home Secretary. Even if these are forwarded to the SLG for approval, the final approval by the UT Administration in unlikely. Already, the water tariff is increased by 5 per cent annually.

In the previous MC term, whenever the BJP had sought a reduction in the water rates, the Administration had slightly relented and asked the MC to explain how it would meet the expenditure. Moreover, from 2027, the residents will have to pay additional water charges for 15 years in view of a soft loan taken from a French firm for the 24x7 pan-city water supply project. The tendering process for this project is underway.

As far as free parking is concerned, last month, the MC had floated a tender for turning all 89 parking areas into smart facilities providing FASTag-enabled system. No agency is going to provide this system and manpower to run the lots for free.

No discussion was held on the financial implications of the two agenda items passed by the House. “The BJP, under whose tenure water rates have increased, is forced to bring the proposal of free water due to our policy,” said councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi.

City BJP general secretary Amit Jindal said, “It is just a political gimmick ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections. They are only making hollow promises regarding free water. During the MC elections in December 2021, AAP had even promised the residents free electricity. The party has its own Mayor and it should fulfil its promise now.”

Unlikely to get through

Sources said the MC would evaluate the two agenda items financially, administratively and legally before sending these to the Secretary, Local Government, i.e. UT Home Secretary. Even if these are forwarded to the Secretary for approval, the final approval by the UT Administration is unlikely. Already, the water tariff is increased by 5 per cent annually.

F&CC elected unanimously

Five members of the Finance and Contract Committee were elected unanimously after BJP’s councillor Jasmanpreet Singh withdrew his nomination. Jaswinder Kaur and Ramchandra Yadav from AAP, and Taruna Mehta from the Congress were the alliance candidates. After Jasmanpreet’s withdrawal, BJP councillors Maheshinder Singh Sidhu and Lakhbir Singh Billu were left in the fray. All five were elected unanimously.

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