Chandigarh: Fractured mandate takes toll on civic body working

Routine functioning of the civic body has been affected with no political party getting a clear majority in the Municipal Corporation House. No special sub-committees and three statutory committees on road and house tax assessment, and water supply and sewerage disposal could be formed for the third straight term.

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After two BJP Mayors Sarabjit Kaur and Anup Gupta serving back-to-back tenures, AAP Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor has also failed to form any of these committees even as about four months are left for his one-year tern to end.

The three panels were supposed to be constituted by the Mayor soon after assuming charge. He has to send the names of councillors for the nine sub-committees to the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator for approval.

Sources said none of the three major parties got a clear majority in House, which was the reason for the delay in formation of the committees. The Mayors avoided forming these panels as they had to nominate the councillors of all parties for these.

Now, agenda relating to these committees is directly sent to the Finance and Contract Committee where it is passed without detailed discussions.

Nine special sub-committees on sanitation, environment and city beautification, electricity, fire and emergency services, Apni Mandi and day market, women empowerment, enforcement, slum colonies, village development and art, culture and sports; besides three statutory committees on road and house tax assessment, water supply and sewerage disposal are supposed to be formed every year.

These panels can approve works costing up to Rs 15 lakh. The Finance and Contracts Committee, which receives lengthy agenda these days sees, can allocate works for up to Rs 50 lakh. Agenda items with a cost beyond this amount go to the MC House.

The Mayor claimed, “The panels could not be formed during his term as the BJP did not send the names of its councillors to be included in the committees. The AAP and the Congress councillors had given the names of persons to put on the panels.”

Leader of the Opposition and BJP councillor Kanwarjit Singh Rana said, “I have no intimation that our names have been sought. But who stops the Mayor from forming committees, at least the statuary ones. He is only finding excuses to shirk his responsibility.”