Oppn leader raises questions over incomplete F&CC

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 16

Leader of Opposition in the MC House Jaspal Singh Giaspura has raised questions over the incomplete Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) even as more than three and a half years have passed since the formation of the the Municipal Corporation’s Sixth House (current).

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, Senior Deputy Mayor Sham Sundar Malhotra and Deputy Mayor Sarabjit Kaur are the present members of the F&CC but two councillors are yet to be nominated as members of the panel.

The F&CC is a key committee of the MC, Ludhiana, as it takes decisions regarding development works, approval to project tenders and other important matters.

Meetings held without members: Giaspura

Jaspal Singh Giaspura alleged that rules were being violated by organising meetings without nominating the two members of the F&CC.

He said the MC’s current House was formed in 2018 and it was required to complete the panel within six months but the rules were still being allegedly violated.

“A number of meetings have been conducted without completing the panel since 2018. There is a need to bring transparency in the working of the F&CC. The panel should be completed without any further delay. At least one opposition party councillor should be taken as a panel member in the F&CC. During the tenure of the last MC House, Congress councillor Balkar Singh Sandhu was then nominated as a member of the F&CC. Now, Sandhu is the city Mayor and he should complete the panel. If it is not completed now, we would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” said senior SAD leader Jaspal Singh Giaspura.

Around a year ago, SAD leader and former leader of opposition in the MC, Harbhajan Singh Dang had also raised the matter before the Mayor to nominate two councillors at the earliest. When the SAD-BJP was in the majority during the MC’s fifth House, Congress councillors used to blame the then Mayor for allegedly delaying the nomination of two councillors as panel members.

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu could not be contacted for his comments.

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