Going by Chandigarh municipal corporation’s (MC) track record of holding futile and non-action oriented monthly general House meetings in the past six months, the development work in the city has taken a backseat with the MC failing to provide any relief to residents.
The cost of one meeting is nearly Rs 1.5 lakh, but in most of the meetings, the councillors have paid mere lip service on issues of basic amenities, thereby emptying its coffers ineffectively.
Out of the six meetings held this year, three went without any discussion on civic issues concerning residents.
Important issues such as stray-dog menace, stray-cattle menace, waterlogging, encroachments, water scarcity, shortage of sweepers, were to be discussed, but councillors of both the parties were found in their petty politics ignoring the real issues. The civic body has not approved or initiated any new project in the past six months.
On an average, councillors spend around seven hours at each monthly meeting. Of the Rs 1.5 lakh spent during one meeting, a whopping Rs 1 lakh is spent on lunch, while ? 500 is paid as honorarium to each councillor for attending the meeting, making it Rs 17,500 for the 35 councillors. The rest is spent on stationary and in preparing agenda booklets.
Nominated councillor Surinder Bahga said, “The House meetings in the past six months were sheer wastage of money and time. It is sad that discussions on various agendas took place, but there was no outcome. Being representatives of residents, our aim is to provide better amenities, but the situation in the city has gone from bad to worse in the past few months."
{{/usCountry}}Nominated councillor Surinder Bahga said, “The House meetings in the past six months were sheer wastage of money and time. It is sad that discussions on various agendas took place, but there was no outcome. Being representatives of residents, our aim is to provide better amenities, but the situation in the city has gone from bad to worse in the past few months."
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