Patiala The rift in the Patiala municipal corporation is wide open now with key meetings being postponed, as councillors are refusing to work with mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu. A close protégé of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Bittu has been facing rebellion, with over 40 councillors meeting Punjab local bodies minister Brahm Mohindra, seeking his removal from the post on Sunday.
On Monday too, Mohindra met councillors for the second day in a row. Of 60 seats in MC House, 32 are in Captain’s constituency, 26 in Mohindra’s Patiala (rural) constituency and two in Sanaur.
On Monday, the scheduled meeting of Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC), which was to issue work orders for development work worth ₹17 crore, was postponed after three of its key members refused to attend it.
These members, senior deputy mayor Yoginder Singh Yogi; Harvinder Shukla and Anil Moudgil submitted in writing to the MC commissioner that they could not attend the meeting, due to unavoidable circumstances.
Harvinder Singh Nippy, who is a special invitee to the F&CC meeting, refused to attend it. Nippy was a close associate of Bittu, but has now turned into a foe. They are among councillors who submitted a signed written document, seeking mayor’s removal to Mohindra on Sunday.
“We can’t hold any meeting in such an atmosphere when the mayor is openly indulging in anti-party activities,” said Nippy, adding, “We have already authorised cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra to take up the issue of mayor’s removal with state leadership. Resentment among councillors has led them to submit signed documents for immediate expulsion of Bittu.”
{{/usCountry}}“We can’t hold any meeting in such an atmosphere when the mayor is openly indulging in anti-party activities,” said Nippy, adding, “We have already authorised cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra to take up the issue of mayor’s removal with state leadership. Resentment among councillors has led them to submit signed documents for immediate expulsion of Bittu.”
{{/usCountry}}Mayor Bittu said councillors were stalling development of the city by not attending key meetings. “The F&CC meeting was important as work orders worth ₹17 crore were to be issued. It is strange that councillors, who are members of the finance committee, could come to the corporation premises to submit the application for postponement of the meeting, but did not have enough time to attend the meeting itself,” he added.