Chandigarh: AAP, Congress boycott mayor’s meet over MC’s fiscal crisis

AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra explained the boycott, saying they were told only the mayor would present demands to the governor, and no councillor from AAP or Congress would be allowed to speak

A day before city councillors, led by BJP mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, were scheduled to meet Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to seek financial assistance for the cash-strapped municipal corporation (MC), councillors from the AAP and Congress boycotted a crucial all-party meeting called by the mayor on Thursday.

The meeting, aimed at discussing strategies for revenue generation and expenditure reduction, was held at the Chandigarh municipal corporation office. (HT File)

The meeting, aimed at discussing strategies for revenue generation and expenditure reduction, was held at the MC office. While BJP councillors attended, no councillors from AAP or Congress showed up. Municipal commissioner Amit Kumar and joint commissioners participated in the discussion on MC’s financial condition.

AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra explained the boycott, saying they were told only the mayor would present demands to the governor, and no councillor from AAP or Congress would be allowed to speak. He also criticised the BJP for taking credit for their suggestions in the past. Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky said Congress councillors had already shared their suggestions in the MC House meetings in the past and instead of repeating them before the mayor, they will present them directly to the governor.

The absence of Opposition councillors raises concerns over their participation in the Friday meeting with the governor. Notably, Congress had also skipped Babla’s first official meeting on February 3, citing other commitments.

“The Thursday meeting was meant to discuss key issues related to the city’s development. However, the absence of Congress and AAP councillors clearly shows that these parties have no interest in Chandigarh’s progress. Their deliberate absence reflects their negligence towards the welfare of the citizens. The opposition councillors are busy playing politics instead of taking municipal meetings seriously,” said mayor Babla.

The meeting with the governor comes amid an ongoing financial crisis that has forced MC to halt development works across the city since May 2024.

Despite multiple meetings, the UT administrator has denied special grants to MC and directed officials to curtail expenses while focusing on improving revenue generation.

Since assuming office on January 30, Babla has met the administrator multiple times, pressing for an urgent additional grant of ₹170 crore to cover essential expenditures, including salaries, pensions and bills for February and March 2025. BJP Chandigarh president Jatinder Malhotra had previously announced the Centre’s approval for a ₹92-crore special grant, but MC has yet to receive these funds, further adding to the financial uncertainty.