With the municipal elections expected to be held next year, there is no end in sight to the credit war between the councillors and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs over the inauguration of development works.
On Thursday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillors, including leader of opposition in MC house Jaspal Giaspura, Harbhajan Singh Dang, Gurmail Singh Jajji among others, submitted a complaint with mayor Balkar Sandhu against the alleged interference by AAP MLAs in their wards. The councillors alleged that the development works are also being delayed due to interference.
District president of SAD, councillor Dang said AAP MLA (Atam nagar) Kulwant Singh Sidhu was stopping the contractors from completing the pending works with a claim that MLA will first inaugurate the projects.
Dang said, “Ninety percent of the work to reconstruct the Ishmeet Singh road (cremation ground road) in Model Town extension has been completed, but the contractor had to stop the work in between during winters due to bad weather conditions. Now, the MLA is not allowing the contractor to complete the work and claims that work will be commenced only after he (MLA) will inaugurate the same. Similarly, the pending work of reconstructing streets in Model House area is being delayed.”
“ If the MLAs want to inaugurate the work, then they should get these approved from the MC first. At present, they are inaugurating the projects which the councillors got approved from MC. We have asked mayor to intervene and direct the officials to get the pending projects completed at the earliest,” Dang said.
{{/usCountry}}“ If the MLAs want to inaugurate the work, then they should get these approved from the MC first. At present, they are inaugurating the projects which the councillors got approved from MC. We have asked mayor to intervene and direct the officials to get the pending projects completed at the earliest,” Dang said.
{{/usCountry}}Similarly, Giaspura said MLAs are even interfering in the day to day working of the MC, including the deployment of sewermen in the wards, due to which the councillors are facing problems in getting the complaints of choked sewer lines resolved.
Stating that MC has failed to clear the dues, the councillors demanded that the MC should release pending payment to the contractors as they have stopped the ongoing work.
(quote of AAP MLA Kulwant Sidhu awaited)
Meanwhile, mayor Sandhu said 25 percent payment has already been released to the contractor and 15 percent more payment will be released soon. He further said he would direct the MC officials to work on the directions of the councillors and get the pending projects completed at the earliest. He appealed to the MLAs to stop interfering in the works approved by the councillors.
Councillors seek installation of street lights at missing points
Councillors also raised hue and cry over missing street light points across the city. Dang said MC had assured installation of additional 15,000 LED street lights at the missing points across the city. The proposal has been hanging fire for over a year and residents face trouble after different parts of the city are left in dark during night hours.
Responding over the issue, mayor said the proposal is pending at the state-level and he will conduct a meeting with principal secretary of the local bodies department over the same next week.