Amid flak, Chandigarh MC councillors leave for Leh trip

24 councillors and two officials justified their trip on the grounds that it was part of the 550th birth celebrations of Guru Nanak

Despite widespread criticism, mayor Rajesh Kumar Kalia, along with a group of 25 councillors and MC officials, on Tuesday left for a five-day trip to Leh to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Pathar Sahib.

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They will return four days later on September 28. Even as the 24 councillors and two officials justified their trip on the grounds that it was part of the 550th birth celebrations of Guru Nanak, a section of councillors is set to raise the tour’s burden on the public exchequer in the next General House meet on September 30.

The trip will cost MC ₹11 lakh, including air tickets and lodging.

A councillor, requesting anonymity, said it was unfortunate that MC was splurging on such trips when it did not have funds to carry out development works. “If MC wants to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, there has to be community engagement. Just a handful of people travelling, that too for five days, is a mere leisure trip. They must answer the House,” the councillor added.

RTI activist RK Garg said the UT administrator must intervene and recover the trip’s expenses from the group as it was sheer wastage of public money. “Never before, MC sent councillors on a religious trip on public money. This has set a wrong precedent,” he added.

NO UPDATES

Normally media savvy, none of the councillors travelling to Leh has posted updates of their trip on social media. Even MC’s public relations department stayed away from sending a report on the activities covered in the five-day tour.