Missing devp agenda: F&CC meet turns protest ground

Chandigarh: In a show of protest, two municipal councillors — Jaswinder Kaur of AAP and Taruna Mehta of Congress — attended the monthly meeting of the finance and contract committee (F&CC) by tying black ribbons on their foreheads. The two elected representatives were protesting against the absence of any development agenda in the F&CC meeting and forwarding of copies of the agenda items very late.
The main copy of the F&CC book didn’t have a single agenda item, except for the confirmation of the minutes of meeting of the previous meeting. Nine table agendas were presented during the course of the meeting, which made protesting councillors even more upset. They asked officials why these agendas didn’t feature in the main book of the agenda and timely circulated to the members.
MC commissioner Vinay Partap Singh sought answers for not bringing the agenda in the main copy and warned officers and staff concerned not to repeat such lapses again. The meeting started almost an hour late as the municipal councillors kept discussing the issue of missing developmental agendas in the main copy of the F&CC meeting. Work in none of the wards was the part of the main agenda. And then nine agenda items were presented instantly during the course of the meeting.
Talking to TOI, Taruna Mehta said, “This happened for the first time in the history of the MC that main copy of the F&CC had no developmental agenda item. I asked why agendas were not listed in the main copy of the F&CC meeting. And then, nine table agendas were presented suddenly during the meeting. The commissioner himself was surprised and sought a reply from the officers and told them not to repeat such things again.”
BJP’s councillor Mahesh Inder Singh Sindhu, who is also member of the F&CC, said, “It is a failure of the mayor and INDIA Bloc because agendas come with the signature of the mayor and if there was no agenda, why the copy was circulated. It shows that incompetency of the mayor.”
Sources said the municipal commissioner also asked the officers to decentralize the system of working in the MC and not to send every single file to him. He asked officials to bring only crucial and important issues to him.
Agendas passed
The F&CC discussed and passed some agendas, which included laying of a pipeline at Patiala Ki Rao for smooth disposal of storm water during heavy rainfall in Maloya Colony at an estimated cost of Rs 41.39 lakh. The committee also accorded approval to the celebration of 37th Chrysanthemum Show-2024, repairing of road gullies.