The complete Municipal Corporation tenure has been quite controversial. Several development works are stuck.
Work is always done with officers. But the mayor thought that she could get it done with her dictatorship and that is not the way administration works. She would keep writing against the officers. In every house meeting, she would indulge in arguments and brawls and there wouldn’t be any discussion on development works. In terms of governance, she has completely failed.
Your tiff with the mayor was quite open? Why were you both constantly at loggerheads?
There was a problem with her working style. She would keep writing letters against all the officers on some or the other pretext. Officers are the ones who have to execute the development works at the ground level, so they must be respected. The way things should work in the MC, they were not working from the very beginning.
Was it that because most councillors owed allegiance to Congress?
It is not because that they owed allegiance to Congress. Even in the last six to eight months, it is the BJP government only which got all roads recarpeted in Panchkula. Mayor didn’t want that any works to be carried out but we spoke at the higher level that comes what may, we have to get development works done because as an MLA, I am answerable to the public.
Eight Commissioners got changed. There were only 18 House meetings in five years.
The Commissioners would not find the atmosphere in Panchkula MC congenial to work as the mayor would write against them every other day. She didn’t have any administrative experience on how to work with the officers. Whichever officer came, she wouldn’t allow him to work and with the fear of their job prospects, they would seek their transfers.
How would you rate the complete five-year tenure of the MC?
I would not like to give any rating from myself… that is the mandate of Panchkula people and they will only decide that.