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Now, BJP and AAP-Cong to slug it out in F&CC poll
After the general House, the F&CC is the second-most powerful committee of Chandigarh MC, holding the power to approve projects and developmental works worth ₹50 lakh
The councillors of INDIA bloc are set for another fight against the BJP on March 11, this time to win the maximum seats in the five-member finance and contract committee (F&CC) of the Chandigarh municipal corporation.
After the general House, the F&CC is the second-most powerful committee of MC, holding the power to approve projects and developmental works worth ₹50 lakh. Projects costing more than ₹50 lakh are discussed and approved by the House.
Four days before the election, a total of six councillors, three each from the BJP and the INDIA bloc, filed nominations on Thursday, setting the stage for another contest.
Councillors Jaswinder Kaur and Ramchandra Yadav from the AAP and councillor Taruna Mehta from the Congress filed nomination papers as part of their alliance under the INDIA bloc, whereas from the BJP, councillors Maheshinder Singh Sidhu, Lakhbir Singh Billu and Jasmanpreet Singh Singh entered the fray.
The BJP councillors, however, are most likely to be elected, since the saffron party holds the majority in the 35-member MC House with 17 councillors and also has the support of the sole Shiromani Akali Dal councillor. AAP comes second with 10 councillors, followed by Congress with seven.
In the past two years, the five members were elected unanimously with all parties fielding as many candidates as required (two each from BJP and AAP, and one from Congress).
Budget meeting: BJP seeks ‘recovery’ from AAP
A day after mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor proceeded to convene the budget meeting despite an intimation by the UT local bodies department to cancel it based on “legal opinion”, the BJP councillors on Thursday submitted a letter to MC to recover the cost of organising the meeting from the mayor.
In a letter to the local bodies secretary, municipal commissioner and MC secretary, the BJP councillors said, “The mayor called a House meeting on Wednesday, which was illegal as no F&CC has been formed till now. As per rules, the budget has to be first tabled before the F&CC and then presented before the general House for discussion, along with the recommendations of the F&CC. As per legal opinion from UT, the MC secretary had told the mayor that the budget meeting can’t be held, but he still proceeded. This is a brazen misuse of office by the mayor.”
“Despite the letter and directions, the mayor went ahead with the meeting, with only AAP and Congress councillors in attendance. Even the MC commissioner and secretary did not attend the same, as it was an illegal meeting. We request you to kindly treat the meeting as void-ab-initio and resultantly all proceedings that happened in that meeting as null and void,” the BJP councillors demanded.
“A huge expenditure of several lakhs was incurred in the preparation of lunch, snacks, videography and other arrangements for conducting the meeting, which should be recovered from the mayor under Section 416 of the MC Act,” they said.
Responding to their claims, the mayor said, “The meeting was convened legally and after legal opinion. On January 30, BJP ‘elected’ its fake mayor, who was removed by the Supreme Court. The fake mayor enjoyed the mayor’s office, official vehicle and other official facilities of the mayor. Was all that legally acceptable?”
“AAP and Congress jointly gave a complaint against presiding officer Anil Masih to the Sector 17 police station and the Chandigarh SSP, but no action has been taken till date. Over two weeks have passed since the Supreme Court’s order,” said Dr SS Ahluwalia, co-incharge, AAP, Chandigarh.
“For the last several years, the BJP was using the mayor’s house in Sector 24 as its guest house, thus all its rent and expenses should also be deposited in the account of MC,” Ahluwalia added.
City BJP chief objects to Kejriwal, Mann’s photos in mayor’s office
Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra on Thursday urged the UT administrator to take cognisance of AAP relocating the portraits of constitutional figures in the mayor’s office and placing portraits of party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann in their place.
“AAP’s decision to remove the photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, President, Prime Minister, MP and UT administrator from the back side wall of the mayor’s chair and putting them aside is an insult to their constitutional positions,” said Malhotra.
”The mayor and AAP should explain by what right the photos of chief ministers of other states have been put in the mayor’s office? Does AAP want to end the existence of Chandigarh by handing over it to Punjab?” he questioned.
He further said mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor intended to use the mayor’s office for personal use or as AAP’s office. But his plan will not succeed under any circumstances.
He also expressed surprise on Congress’s silence on the matter. “It seems the Congress Party has mortgaged itself to the AAP and is hence pretending to remain silent even on such a serious matter,” he added, while taking a dig at the party.
