‘Hasty’: Oppn hits out as Ludhiana Municipal Corporation House clears ₹1,100-cr budget in 25 minutes
Mayor Inderjit Kaur hailed the budget as comprehensive and one that addresses all major civic needs; “It is comprehensive budget.We have allocated around ₹400 crore for development works such as road repairs, water and sewerage projects, streetlights and park maintenance,” she said
Strap: BJP, Congress councillors create ruckus, cry foul over ₹48-cr allocation for streetlight project
The municipal corporation (MC) general house on Thursday cleared a ₹1,100-crore budget in 25 minutes even as the Opposition created a ruckus and staged a walkout. Councillors from the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the budget was passed without ‘due deliberation’.
The House had convened after almost two years, a hiatus caused by the delay in holding civic body polls after the terms of previous councillors ended.
Mayor Inderjit Kaur hailed the budget as comprehensive and one that addresses all major civic needs. “It is comprehensive budget. We have allocated around ₹400 crore for development works such as road repairs, water and sewerage projects, streetlights and park maintenance,” she said.
The Opposition, however, said the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was pushing its agenda without ‘due deliberation.’
Among the most contentious issues was a ₹48-crore allocation for streetlights, with the Opposition councillors pointing out that a light-emitting diode (LED) streetlight project is already in place and funds were being ‘wasted’ with the fresh allocation.
Senior Congress councillor Sham Sunder Malhotra alleged the 8,200 streetlights being purchased were being ‘distributed unfairly’. He said the locations for these streetlights were being decided as per the defeated AAP candidates and the councillors from other political parties, who represent the respective constituencies, were not getting a say in the matter.
However, MC commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal cleared the air on the fund allocation.
“The proposed expenditure for streetlights is not fishy as ₹36 crore goes to annual maintenance contract and only ₹9 crore are allocated for purchase of new streetlights. That leaves ₹2 crore to ₹3 crore in buffer if anything is needed during a year,” he said.
Soon as the discussion began, opposition members demanded a detailed explanation of the proposed expenses. Some councillors tried to rush towards the dais while the deputy chief financial adviser (DCFA) was reading out the budget provisions, prompting security personnel to intervene.
However, mayor Kaur maintained that the Opposition was creating ‘undue’ ruckus as they were informed of the agenda and the allocation during the all-party meeting two days ago.
As multiple MLAs, including Madan Lal Bagga, Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal, Ashok Parashar Pappi, Kulwant Singh Sidhu and Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, attended the session and even answered some queries, Opposition councillors hit out at the AAP, claiming that the MLAs had no business answering their questions.
They insisted that the questions be either answered by the mayor or MC commissioner.
At the start of the session, the Opposition asked for a zero-hour, a request that was denied.
BJP councillor Rohit Sikka criticised what he said was the civic body’s failure to revise property tax recovery targets, claiming it was not in line with the city’s growth. He said the MC could boost revenue from the building branch and advertisement tax, alleging that the officials were ‘missing out’.
However, MC commissioner said if the targets were revised and not met, it could affect the central grants they get. He pointed out that the local bodies department only permits a 10% increase in the annual budget.
As tempers rose, some of the agitated councillors locked the doors and blocked the mayor and MC commissioner’s paths, insisting that their queries be answered. Security personnel had to clear the way. Amid the commotion, the mayor announced the budget’s passage even as the discussion was yet to reach a fruitful conclusion.
As the AAP councillors were escorted out by security personnel, the Opposition staged a walkout.
