Local Bodies Dept revokes F&CC power to spend up to Rs 1 crore

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 5

In a major setback to Health Minister and local MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu, the Local Bodies Department, Punjab, has revoked the extended limit of the Municipal Corporation’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) to spend up to Rs 1 crore.

Zirakpur MC House meet

Zirakpur: The Municipal Council proposes to build two foot overbridges, one each at the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway and Zirakpur-Shimla National Highway, besides installation of reception gates at the main entrances to the town. Nineteen agenda items were put up at the meeting on Monday, of which all but two were passed with full majority. There was a proposal to lay sewer lines in Dyalpura, Bhudda Sahib and Chhat villages. The main point of contention in Monday’s meeting was the appointment of Karamjit Singh Chaudhary as the legal advisor of the Zirakpur Municipal Council.

The department also told the Municipal Corporation Commissioner that the F&CC could not spend any amount directly.

Earlier, the MC House meeting held in the presence of Balbir Singh Sidhu had extended F&CC’s spending power from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore, following which 12 councillors had shot a dissenting letter to the MC Commissioner.

The councillors had demanded that two members of the Opposition should be included in the committee to ensure transparency.

Today, members of the Azad Group – Sukhdev Singh Patwari and Sarabjit Singh – while displaying the letter issued on June 27 by the Director, Local Bodies, said: “The letter states that any work should be handed over to the F&CC only after deliberation in the General House of the Municipal Corporation. This clearly means that only the House has the authority to pass a cost estimate for a work, and only after the seal of the House is affixed, can the work of contracting for a project be entrusted to the committee.”

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