E-Paper
Delimitation of Mohali municipal wards: High court puts administration, Punjab government on notice
Asks why the notification should not be stayed; seeks response from various respondents by January 6
The Punjab and Haryana high court has put Punjab government and Mohali administration on notice on a plea seeking quashing of delimitation of wards carried out for the municipal corporation of Mohali.
As per the SAD and BJP councillors, 70% seats held by them in the previous Mohali municipal corporation house have either been re-carved, reserved or de-reserved to their detriment.
The five-year term of the house ended on April 26 this year. Among the 50 wards, 25 have been reserved for women, besides five for scheduled castes (including two for women) and two for backward classes (men). As many as 23 of 33 wards previously held by the SAD and the BJP have been affected, while wards of only two former Congress councillors have been converted into general category and the remaining 13 have been left untouched. The MC was led by Kulwant Singh of the SAD.
“The high court has sought response from various respondents by January 6 and also asked why notification should not be stayed,” senior advocate Vikas Bahl, who appeared for these councillors said.
The plea filed by five former councillors seeks quashing of July 31 notification vide which delimitation board was constituted and subsequent developments of re-carving of wards and notification on the same issued on October 28.
It has been alleged that mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor were not made members of the board and no elected councillor was associated with the board as mandated. Two nominated members, who were made members of the board, are affiliated with the Congress, which is in power in the state and no member from other political parties was associated with the exercise.
One of the nominated members chosen to be part of the board is facing a trial in a murder case, the court was informed, seeking quashing of board’s constitution and subsequent proceedings.
The plea also says that on March 23, even as MC’s term had not elapsed, the government asked the municipal commissioner to discharge functions of the MC for which there were no compelling circumstances. The plea also demanded that objections submitted by them should be considered by the delimitation board before finalising the boundaries of the wards.
In August, the high court had restrained the government from carrying out the final notification of wards of Zirakpur municipal council. The plea there too was on the violation of norms in constitution of the board.
