Chandigarh MC meeting erupts in chaos, councillors tear pages from meeting minutes

The General House meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation witnessed huge uproar today after councillors of Congress and AAP tore off the pages of minutes of last House meeting.

Amidst the pandemonium, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla ordered to remove Senior Deputy Mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty, Deputy Mayor Taruna Mehta and AAP councillor Prem Lata from the House.

The Mayor adjourned the meeting during the ruckus for ten minutes.

While the Mayor and the other officers were away, Senior Deputy Mayor and other Opposition councillors held a meeting in the Well of the House. Senior Deputy Mayor Bunty assumed the charge of Mayor and other Opposition councillors criticised the ruling BJP party and Mayor.

Earlier, the BJP councillors praised Mayor Babla for receiving the woman empowerment award in Moscow. While the BJP councillors praising the Mayor, the Opposition councillors started shouting slogans against her and alleging harrassment and exploitation of the MC employees.

Mayor Babla termed the action ‘shameful’ and an insult to the citizens and women of the city. She said the award is for all the residents, including the women of city.

Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi also raised the issue of suspending two officers of Santitation Department for dereliction of duty during the function of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

He said that if action is required, then all the sanitation officers, including top officers must be suspended. Punishing lower level officers is unjustified. He alleged that the garbage was thrown on the direction of higher authorities, but punishment is given to only two lower level employees.

Earlier, during the General House Meeting of the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, Councillor Saurabh Joshi raised the issue of the functioning and financial accountability of the Horticulture Waste Management Plant and nearly 110 horticulture waste pits in Chandigarh’s Green Belts.

Councillor Joshi categorically demanded that the Commissioner initiate an independent inquiry into the matter and submit a comprehensive report before the next month’s General House Meeting. He drew the attention of the House to his written representation submitted earlier in the day to the Commissioner, in which he highlighted several concerns regarding the investment, functioning, transparency and accountability of these projects.

Councillor Joshi further stated that if his demand for inquiry and strict action on his representation is ignored, he will be left with no option but to stage a Dharna at the Municipal Corporation office.

“This is an issue of public money and public accountability. I will not let it go unheard. Either there will be a transparent inquiry and report within a fixed time, or I shall sit on a Dharna,” said Saurabh Joshi.