Chandigarh MC House witnesses uproar over free water demand
BJP, Congress councillors trade charges over implementation of proposal
The Municipal Corporation's General House meeting witnessed huge uproar on Friday after Congress councillors demanded 20,000 litres of free water for every household.
As Congress councillors raised the issue, BJP councillors, including Mayor Saurabh Joshi, attacked the Congress and the AAP for not fulfilling the demand.
Joshi denied the allegations levelled by the Opposition, and termed the AAP the "B team" of the Congress and said both parties had promised free water before the parliamentary elections. "The Member of Parliament should answer why the promise has not been fulfilled," he said, adding that the AAP would face defeat in the next Punjab Assembly election.
Congress councillors, including Premlata, Jasbir Singh Bunty and Gurpreet Singh Gabi, staged a protest in the well of the House carrying placards demanding implementation of the proposal for free water.
The Congress members said the issue was not merely political but concerned a genuine necessity and rightful entitlement for lakhs of Chandigarh residents. They pointed out that the Municipal Corporation House has already passed , but it had not been implemented. They alleged that the delay reflected disregard for both the democratic mandate of the elected House and the aspirations of the people.
AAP councillors, meanwhile, raised issues related to civic amenities. They alleged that rain has exposed shortcomings in the city's infrastructure. They claimed roads had not been properly maintained and alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Municipal Corporation.
The AAP councillors also observed a two-minute silence to pay tribute to students who reportedly lost their lives in connection with the alleged NEET paper leak case. Tributes were also paid to an MC employee who died in an accident.
Many councillors also complained that officers were not responding to their representatives or addressing civic issues promptly. AAP councillor Ram Chander AAP alleged that development works were not being completed on time and that no action was being taken against defaulting contractors.
