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I will not allow ‘jungle raj’ in Chandigarh: Purohit on MC’s free water decision
Chandigarh administrator Banwarilal Purohit says free water promise is fraud with residents; refutes mayor’s allegations of insult
A fiery war of words has erupted between UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit and AAP mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor over the latter’s populist move to provide 20,000 litres of free water monthly to Chandigarh residents.
Questioning the decision’s viability, Purohit on Thursday said, “I will not allow ‘jungle raj’ in the city. How can I allow unrealistic promises of free water supply as it is fraud with the people of Chandigarh.”
Also refuting the mayor’s allegations of insult, Purohit, while addressing mediapersons, said, “Listen to my speech, I never insulted him. Till 3 pm, he was having tea and snacks with me. I do not know what happened after 3 pm. He suddenly got orders from Delhi to say that the administrator insulted him.”
On Wednesday, the mayor had accused the administrator of insulting him with his remarks on the free water decision at a Raj Bhawan function. Dhalor had also hit out at city MP Kirron Kher, accusing her of subjecting him to “casteist treatment” by sanitising the microphone after his speech at the same event.
“As the administrator, it is my duty to see that not even a single penny is misused. I am a simple person, but I am no saint to take all their allegations lying down. There is a system to be followed and I do not know, how they are going to distribute free water,” said the administrator.
Highlighting the financial impracticality behind the free water promise, Purohit said, “There’s neither any money nor a calculation. There’s no system in place either. You make an announcement when it can’t be implemented. There’s nothing worse than this.”
Purohit called out both the AAP and BJP for their unrealistic promises, asserting that dirty politics should not come at the expense of Chandigarh’s residents. BJP had also demanded 40,000 litres of free water at the March 11 MC House meeting where the decision for 20,000 litres of free water was approved.
Strongly rebuking the allegation against MP Kher, Purohit said she was a cancer patient and looking at her health condition, she got the microphone sanitised: “I don’t think, there is any insult in that.”
Listing out the financial crunch in MC, the administrator said MC’s expenditure was ₹1,200 crore and their revenue was just ₹500 crore. Due to a deficit of ₹700 crore, they ask for funds from UT that further turns to the Centre. “The entire civic body is running on grants. From water supply, the revenue is ₹107 crore, while losses run between ₹150 crore and ₹175 crore. Yet they ask for free water. Can how they announce free water when they don’t have funds?” he questioned.
He further said if UT didn’t provide them grants, MC won’t even be able to pay out salaries.
MP Kirron Kher also launched a scathing attack on mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, accusing him of playing dirty politics.
Addressing mediapersons at the BJP office, Kher said the mayor should be referred to as “rondu ram (crybaby)”.
“He has developed the habit of crying during every conversation. That’s why I will no longer call him Kuldeep Singh, but ‘rondu ram’. I will not tolerate him using the term ‘untouchable’. He knows that a large section is associated with BJP because of its welfare thinking...He calls himself a child. The mayor is neither a child nor should he cry like one,” she remarked.
