Chandigarh municipal commissioner Anindita Mitra exits official WhatsApp group, civic body officials follow suit

Sandeep Rana

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Chandigarh, March 31

An official WhatsApp group created three months ago for better coordination between councillors and officers was suddenly left by MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra. The top brass of the civic body followed suit.

The development came a day after Opposition councilors, belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, rejected all seven agendas during the MC House meeting, shocking all officers and the ruling BJP councillors.

Group was created three months ago

• A WhatsApp group was created on December 30 last year in which councillors used to post problems pertaining to their wards and used to get direct response from officials of the civic body.
• MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra left the group on Wednesday night after AAP councillor Daman Preet Singh sought redressal of some civic work. He later asked “no reply” following which Mitra left the group.

A senior official said, “Exiting the group was in no way connected to the meeting. Certain councillors were posting petty issues in the group and were also not using appropriate language with the MC Commissioner. Thus, the chief exited the group.”

The MC boss left the group on Wednesday night after AAP councillor Daman Preet Singh sought redressal of some civic work. He later asked “no reply” following which Mitra left the group.

Right after one hour, Joint Commissioner Shalini Chetal also left the group. Following this, Chief Engineer NP Sharma, superintending engineers Inderjeet Gulati and Krishan Pal Singh and other senior officials also exited.

Today, Mayor Sarabjit Kaur, Senior Deputy Mayor Dalip Sharma, five BJP councillors and six AAP also left the group.

Now, 29 members are left in the group, which was created on December 30 last year. Councillors used to post problems pertaining to their wards and used to get direct response from officials of the civic body.

“These are not good signs for the MC as well as the city. First, all official agendas, which were for the city and not for any particular party, get rejected and now, members leave the group, which may hit development works,” commented a councillor.

When contacted, MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “If not in the group, I am available on my WhatsApp number to address issues.”