Chandigarh MC House meet set to be a noisy affair

The BJP has come under severe pressure from the opposition Congress and resident welfare associations on the threefold increase in water tariff

The Chandigarh municipal corporation General House’s first physical meeting in over seven months on Thursday is set to be a tumultuous affair.

Even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to table unlisted agendas, such as a review of GPS watches for MC staffers and steep hike in water tariff, the Congress is preparing to corner it on these contentious issues as well as its alleged failure on the development front.

The BJP has come under severe pressure from the opposition Congress and resident welfare associations on the threefold increase in water tariff. Protests have been staged by different resident associations against both the BJP and the MC on the issue.

“This is not the right time to increase water charges,” said Arun Sood, BJP state president and a councillor, while commenting on the planned agenda. “Though charges have to be increased to cover MC’s losses, such a sharp hike wasn’t warranted.”

Left out of the agenda for the October 20 meeting, revision of water tariff is said to be one of the reasons for the BJP’s sharp criticism directed at the MC commissioner and other officials in the last couple of weeks.

In fact, RWAs are threatening to call protests if the hiked water charges are not rolled back.

Also, the meeting comes just a couple of days after sanitation workers and garbage collectors ended their four-day strike.

While the BJP is planing to confront officials on the efficacy of the GPS watches for MC staff, the Congress plans to question the introduction of watches in the first place. MC officials are not in favour of discontinuing the use of these watches that are meant to keep a track on the field staff’s attendance. The civic body pays around ₹18 lakh per month as rent for these watches.

The meeting’s outcome will also decide the next course of action to be taken by the sanitation staff. The union had ended its strike on the condition that the House would decide on stopping the use of GPS watches.

“Either the House should temporarily stop the use of watches till the final decision is reached or we will stop sanitation and garbage collection work,” said Om Prakash Saini, president of Chandigarh Door to Door Garbage Collectors’ Society.

Cong to demand mayor’s resignation

Mayor Raj Bala Malik faced a major public embarrassment when 18 of 20 BJP councillors, including Arun Sood, boycotted the October 20 meeting.

They had been demanding a physical meeting, but the mayor went for a virtual one.

Even the party organisational secretary, Dinesh Kumar, had sided with the boycotting party councillors. Relenting under party pressure, Malik had to finally call the physical meeting.

This time around, the Congress plans to demand her resignation.

“The mayor has failed totally in development of the city, and even to carry her party along. We will demand her resignation. We were not even allowed to properly speak in the previous virtual meetings by the mayor and her party,” said Devinder Singh Babla, Congress councillor and leader of opposition in the House.

Main agendas

Though not listed, review of steep water tariff hike and GPS watches for sanitation workers are likely to be prominent table agendas.

In September, water charges were hiked up to 200%. RWAs and the opposition have been up in arms against it.

GPS-enabled watches are mandatory for 4,000 MC workers, including sanitation staff. The workers’ salary is calculated as per their attendance, which is marked through these watches. The workers recently went on a strike against these watches, which they allege malfunction.

Other agendas

Imposition of user charges for door-to-door garbage collection

Licence fee for parking contractor for September, October and November

Amendments proposed to rural building bylaws

Safety measures

Thermal screening of all attendees

Visitors’ entry barred

Transparent shields between councillors’ seats

Media not to be seated in the hall, but to be given access to live coverage