Eight months on, F&CC of civic body still incomplete

Harshraj singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 12

Though eight months have passed after the formation of sixth Municipal Corporation House, but the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the MC has still been “incomplete”.

At present, the committee has three members, including Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, senior deputy mayor Sham Sunder Malhotra and deputy mayor Sarabjit Kaur. The MC Commissioner is an ex-officio member of the committee. Besides, two councillors need to be inducted as members of the committee as per rules.

The F&CC headed by Mayor Sandhu has held several meetings after formation of the House without two councillors. Moreover, decisions regarding awarding of contracts and expenditure related were also taken in the F&CC’s meeting.

A BJP leader has raised serious questions over the role of the F&CC for allegedly delaying action against erring contractors who fleece visitors at parking lots.

Harbhajan Singh Dang, Leader of the Opposition in Ludhiana MC and Shiromani Akali Dal councillor, said the F&CC panel must be completed.

“From 2012-2017, two councillors were nominated to the panel two years after formation of the MC House. Then the Congress councillors used to raise questions over ‘incomplete F&CC’. Now, the Congress is in majority but the process to include two councillors in the panel is yet to be followed,” said an opposition councillor.

An official said the panel can take decisions with four members, including Mayor, senior deputy mayor, deputy mayor and the MC Commissioner. However, two councillors have not been included in the panel yet, he said.