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MC officials boycott House meeting

JALANDHAR: Questions asked to a building inspector during the MC General House meeting did not go well with officers of various branches, which resulted in a dramatic move as the latter boycotted the meeting which left councillors, the Mayor and others present shocked.

MC officials boycott House meeting

SAD and BJP councillors argue with Mayor Jagdish Raja during the General House meeting. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh



Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 18

Questions asked to a building inspector during the MC General House meeting did not go well with officers of various branches, which resulted in a dramatic move as the latter boycotted the meeting which left councillors, the Mayor and others present shocked.

Mandeep Jassal, Congress councillor, during the Zero Hour had raised an issue that earlier an unauthorised building in his ward was constructed, but when the building was taken on rent, the inspector, Neeraj Sharma, sealed it, saying that it was an illegal building.

The councillor said: “He should have checked the same before giving approval to the building and on top of it, when he went at the site to seal the building, the inspector said I had sent him to take action which is not true.”

Inspector nervous during cross-questioning

When Mayor Jagdish Raja called Neeraj to give an explanation, the latter said the building was made after the plan was passed. To this, the Mayor asked that then why was it sealed. The inspector replied that more area was covered than the approved one. The Mayor then cross questioned him again, asking that why was it then constructed. Afterwards, he got nervous and said he was under ‘political pressure’. Neeraj said politicians first approach them and get the work done, after which they extricate themselves from the situation, leaving them in trouble.

When the inspector was pressured to take the name of the politician, he, without naming, said the MLA of the respective constituency, Rajinder Beri, had put pressure on him.

Mayor said he did not believe him. The officers then said asking such questions was an insult to them and after creating a hullabaloo, they left the meeting.

Boycott shows officers at fault: Mayor

After the officers quit the meeting, the Mayor said they must answer the questions that are being asked to them. “Boycotting means that they want to say that they did not want anyone to question them even if they are indulged in corruption.

Even I was targeted: Mayor

He said he agreed with the councillor. “Even I have been named many times in such cases. Inspectors take money and then they act as per their wishes,” the Mayor said.

Took sides with Rinku

After the officers boycotted the meeting, the Mayor said they were not doing the work properly. He mentioned the incident of a demolition drive in MLA Sushil Rinku’s area, Basti Bawa, and said these officers unnecessarily targeted him.

“Why they see the illegal buildings only in his area,” the Mayor said.

The inquiry report of the sweeping machine was also discussed in the meeting. The Mayor, however, said the inquiry had not been done properly.

“There are many discrepancies in the report. I will send the matter to the state Vigilance for checking.

The implementation plan for road sweeping was for three years, which was extended to five years which was also not correct as per rules of the House.

The Mayor also highlighted another point, saying that water from Jamsher was to be taken to clean roads, which was never done, whereas the payments were made, which amounts to corruption.

Leader of Opposition Paramjit Singh Reru then asked that the officials must be held accountable and must be asked questions in the meeting. He said those who were involved must be unmasked here.

Reru who is from the SAD, also cross-examined the Mayor and said the payment of Rs 88 lakh was made in August. If there was a scam, then why the payment was made, he questioned.

To his question, a councillor from the Congress said for 10 years, the SAD-BJP had finished the money of the MC, so there was no point to raise objections.

Councillors’ issues

Davinder Singh Rony, an Independent councillor said what was the fun of mentioning big projects such as Swachh Bharat, if they could not even a provide a single light in areas which are reeling under darkness after the LED light project was stopped.

“We cannot even get a manhole cover installed on our own, what to talk about other things,” Rony asked.

Councillors also asked questions from the officials of the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) branch, Building Branch and Town Planning Branch.

Des Raj Jassal, Congress councillor, asked some questions from an official that how many illegal colonies were made.

When Jassal said he had made a report of colonies that were unauthorised, the Mayor asked him not to reveal it. The councillor then said why the Mayor was afraid to reveal it in the House and if he was afraid then there might be some shortcomings. Later, the Mayor gave a go-ahead for the same.

The councillor said there were 348 illegal colonies. The officer, Lakhbir Singh, could not give the details of time when each colony was constructed.

Singh said he would arrange the details as there was no availability yet. The Mayor then told him that he was not satisfied with his answer, to which the officer said he would check the date of establishment of the colonies.

Vigilance will probe sweeping machine project, says Mayor

The inquiry report of the sweeping machine project was also discussed in the meeting. The Mayor, however, said the inquiry had not been done properly. “There are many discrepancies in the report. I will send the matter 

to the state Vigilance for checking. The implementation plan for road sweeping was for three years, which was extended to five years. It was also not correct as per the rules of the House.

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