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Goa study tour: Spouses of BJP, Congress councillors accompany them: Chandigarh AAP
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, AAP leader Damanpreet said the BJP and Congress councillors who have gone on the tour are accompanied by their spouses. Why should the taxpayers of Chandigarh pay for the traveling expenses of these people.
The spouses of some city councillors are also accompanying them on the Goa ‘study tour’ to look into the working of the state’s garbage processing plant, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, AAP leader Damanpreet said, “The BJP and Congress councillors who have gone on the tour are accompanied by their spouses. Why should the taxpayers of Chandigarh pay for the traveling expenses of these people. Dadumajra dumping ground is the reason why people live near it suffer from various diseases, including cancer. Why was no initiative taken to solve this issue first. We condemn this wastage of public money through such useless tours.”
He added that it is not a study tour but a lobbying tour where BJP is trying to win the support of Congress to get their votes.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said that Congress and BJP have gulped down crores of rupees in the name of clearing this dumping ground. “Contracts were given many times but always to their favourite companies to loot the public money. There are BJP and Congress councillors, nominated people who are supporters of BJP-Congress and nine officers on the tour but what was the need to take such a big team for a study tour when taxpayers are footing the bill? Why take nine officers on such a tour?”, he asked.
Meanwhile, Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) said, “Spouses should not be part of the study tour as it does not remain a study tour and becomes a leisure tour for it lacks seriousness.” The plan for the tour has been chalked out. Each year, the MC sets aside ₹50 lakh for study tours. This tour will cost about ₹25 lakh. Study tour has always been under a cloud.”
