Nearly 11 months after the formation of the municipal corporation House, the third General House meeting was held at Dr BR Ambedkar Bhawan here on Friday, with councillors raising a wide range of civic grievances. As many as 33 agenda items were placed before the House. Officials informed the House that 2,328 agendas had been cleared in the past 11 months.
Among the major proposals approved during the meeting were the extension of MC limits and installation of around 5,000 new streetlights across the city. Other key agendas taken up included issues related to sewer blockages, sanitation and drains, complaints of illegal colonies, staff shortage and attendance of safai karamcharis, damaged roads and poor maintenance, park management and overall civic services.
The meeting began with opposition councillors demanding detailed discussion on each agenda instead of merely placing items on record. Once the agendas were taken up, councillors across parties raised ward-level concerns linked to the listed issues. BJP councillor Bhavneet Kaur (Ward 79) said flex boards installed to mark the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur were still lying across the city even after a month and urged the MC commissioner to ensure their removal. She also flagged overflowing sewage due to the lack of desilting of the covered Shivaji Nagar drain.
Congress councillor Sukhdev Bawa highlighted poor road conditions along Noorwala and Kakowal roads and inadequate sanitation in his ward. He alleged that safai karamcharis do not follow councillors’ instructions and report only to ward in-charges. Expressing frustration, Bawa said he was willing to resign if officials failed to perform their duties.
{{/usCountry}}Congress councillor Sukhdev Bawa highlighted poor road conditions along Noorwala and Kakowal roads and inadequate sanitation in his ward. He alleged that safai karamcharis do not follow councillors’ instructions and report only to ward in-charges. Expressing frustration, Bawa said he was willing to resign if officials failed to perform their duties.
{{/usCountry}}This prompted a sharp response from MLA Daljit Singh Grewal (Bhola), who accused Bawa of failing to deliver in his ward and blaming officials.
Heated exchanges followed between councillors and MLAs over the performance of the present and previous governments.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillor Rakhwinder Singh Gabria alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had taken up no major projects of its own and was only repairing works initiated during the Akali regime. Citing Gill Road, he claimed the road developed cracks soon after construction and no action was taken against the contractor. Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Sidhu countered the claim, stating the road was built four years ago and said he was ready to present documents.
SAD councillor Kamal Arora (Ward 20) raised concerns over mushrooming illegal colonies near Tajpur Road and alleged inaction by the MTP despite repeated complaints. He also highlighted persistent sewerage problems in the area.
BJP councillor Gauravjit Gora said 152 safai karamcharis were posted in the central constituency but there was no proper attendance system, leading to sanitation issues. He added that eight parks in his ward lacked park management committees.
Leader of Opposition Poonam Ratra produced a bottle of contaminated water inside the House, saying outdated pipelines had not been replaced despite population growth.
Councillor Satpal Lohara (Ward 38) alleged discrimination in the distribution of streetlights, stating his ward did not receive even one of the 9,000 lights procured during the last bypolls. With 5,000 more lights now planned, he demanded at least 50 for his area and opposed the extension of MC limits, a stand backed by opposition councillors. Civic body commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said the MC limits extension could not be implemented immediately as the census process would begin in December and remain frozen for two years. During this period, surveys would be conducted before implementation, which would also help enhance revenue, he added.
Congress councillor Arun Sharma raised Dhoka Mohalla’s Buddha Nullah issue, demanding a retaining wall to prevent losses during rains. BJP councillor Ruchi Gulati (Ward 73) alleged inflated progress reports, claiming interlocking tile work and park renovation were shown as complete on paper despite minimal work on the ground.
The meeting was attended by mayor Inderjit Kaur, MC commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, senior deputy mayor Rakesh Prashar, deputy mayor Prince Johar, MLAs Ashok Prashar Pappi, Madan Lal Bagga, Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal, Kulwant Singh Sidhu and Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, besides councillors and senior officers. Tributes were paid to the martyrdom of the Chaar Sahibzaade at the start of the proceedings.
Protest outside House
Outside the venue, members of the Nagar Nigam Karamchari Union blocked the main gate of Ambedkar Bhawan, protesting against the ₹1,144-crore integrated waste management project. The protesters did not allow MLAs, councillors or officials to leave the premises for some time, demanding the tender be scrapped. Later, the mayor and MC commissioner held a meeting with union representatives and assured them that the tender would not be processed without the union’s consent.