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High Court stays election of new Jagraon MC president
Next hearing of the matter is on March 20, 2024; dismissed president gets no relief from Punjab and Haryana high court
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday stayed the election for the new president of the municipal corporation, Jagraon, till March 20, 2024 after its chief Jatinder Pal Rana was dismissed from the post for allegedly locking executive officer of the civic body in a room and forcefully distributing appointment letters among the contractual sanitary workers.
Rana had moved the court against his sacking. However, the court refused the put a stay on his dismissal.
The Punjab government’s local bodies department had on Saturday dismissed Rana.
Till the election of the new president, senior vice president of the council will look after the work of the civic body.
Rana, on his part, said that on September 11, some of the sanitary workers and sewermen approached him seeking his signatures on the appointment letters.
“I went to the office of the executive officer (EO) to see the matter, as I had already signed the letters. Meanwhile, the sanitary workers and sewermen also gathered there seeking the appointment letters. After completing the formalities, we distributed the letters to them,” Rana said.
“Some local news channels also covered the event, assuming the gathering a protest. In his statement to the channels, the EO had clarified that they are gathered here to receive the letters and not for the protest. Later, the officials accused me of locking the EO in a room and dismissed me,” he added.
EO Sukhdev Singh Randhawa refused comment on the issue till receiving the court orders.
