Four months on, Panchkula MC awaits key panels, election of mayor’s deputies

The MC was constituted on May 30, and its first general House meeting was held on June 16. Since then, no other House meeting has been held. Mayor Sham Lal Bansal said another meeting is likely to be convened towards the end of this month

Nearly four months into the new Panchkula municipal corporation (MC), the civic body is yet to get its full institutional structure in place. The newly elected House, which has met only once since its formation, is yet to constitute several key committees. The posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor also remain vacant.

MC commissioner Vinay Kumar said the F&CC is a major committee that takes important decisions and that its meetings are normally held frequently. He said it has not yet been constituted in Panchkula. (HT File)

The MC was constituted on May 30, and its first general House meeting was held on June 16. Since then, no other House meeting has been held. Mayor Sham Lal Bansal said another meeting is likely to be convened towards the end of this month.

According to Section 52(1) of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, the corporation should ordinarily hold at least one meeting every month for the transaction of its business. Bansal said, “Normally, the general House meeting should be held once in three months, while councillors’ meetings are generally held every 15 days.”

Ward 18 councillor Amandeep Kaur, however, said the general House should meet at least once every two months so that councillors could regularly raise civic issues. “Several development and repair works are pending in my ward,” she said.

Several important committees are also yet to be constituted, including the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC). The committee plays a key role in taking decisions on works and agendas involving substantial expenditure. Other committees include those dealing with sanitation, electrical works, horticulture, anti-encroachment, dogs and cows, among others.

Former mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said various committees in the corporation had earlier met much more frequently, normally once every 15 days.

MC commissioner Vinay Kumar said the F&CC is a major committee that takes important decisions and that its meetings are normally held frequently. He said it has not yet been constituted in Panchkula.

The elections to the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor in several municipal corporations across Haryana, including Panchkula, are pending. In Panchkula, Bansal assumed charge as mayor on May 30. The BJP won 17 of the 20 wards in the elections held on May 10, while the Congress won one seat from Ward 18. The remaining two seats were won by independent candidates.

Section 36(2) of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act provides for the election of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. Bansal said the election of the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor would be decided by the party high command. This is the second consecutive MC term in which the two posts have remained unfilled.

Ward 3 councillor Suresh Kumar Verma said the absence of mayor’s deputies has affected the proper constitution of the F&CC, even though the committee can function in their absence.

MC commissioner Vinay Kumar said that in the absence of the mayor’s deputies, the mayor and two councillors, nominated by the mayor and the commissioner, form part of the F&CC.