E-Paper
Chandigarh adviser postpones meeting with councillors for the 8th time in a row
The Chandigarh administration has postponed the meeting eight times since June on one pretext or the other, citing administrative reasons; now, the meeting is scheduled on October 17
With the October 10 meeting being postponed by a week, UT adviser Dharam Pal has deferred his congress with the municipal corporation councillors from Wards 19 to 27 for the eighth time in a row.
The adviser and the nine councillors – six from the Aam Aadmi Party and three from the Congress – were slated to meet on June 30 to discuss development agendas, issues, pendency and action plans for different projects, but the administration has postponed the meeting eight times since on one pretext or the other, citing administrative reasons. Now, the meeting is scheduled on October 17.
Irked, the councillors claim that the adviser does not have time to discuss development projects. Congress’ councillor from Ward No. 20 Gurcharanjit Singh said, “It is unfortunate that the meeting has been postponed yet again. So many important issues need to be taken up, but the adviser does not have time for us.”
Anju Katyal, AAP councillor from Ward No. 22, said, “Why schedule the meeting at all, if they don’t intend to hold it? The meeting is being repeatedly postponed since June.”
On being asked about the repeated deferments, UT adviser Dharam Pal said, “We will be occupied with VIPs over the coming days, which is why the meeting was postponed. However, a meeting will be convened soon and councillors’ issues will be taken up.”
The tradition of councillors meeting the adviser in batches was initiated in 2016 when VP Singh Badnore was the UT administrator.
RK Garg, president of Second Innings’ Association, a senior citizens’ body, said, “The regular postponement of such an important meeting of public representatives, who work at the grassroots level is a serious issue.”
