Indore: In a bizarre incident that took everybody by surprise, Indore Municipal Corporation speaker Ajay Singh Naruka on Tuesday said that he was ready to give up his post when Mayor-in-Council members and BJP corporators objected to his move of raising an issue while being in the speaker’s chair.
“If this chair prevents me from raising issues concerning public, I am ready to leave it,” he said taking everybody aback during IMC council meeting held on Thursday. The IMC council meeting was held at Shri Vaishnav School in Raj Mohalla. Unlike previous meetings, this meeting did not witness heated arguments between BJP and opposition Congress party corporators but between BJP and the speaker.
MiC member Dilip Sharma sought confirmation of last meeting minutes but to his surprise Naruka stated that he was not happy with the proposed multi-level parking on Greater Kailash Road. The speaker sought re-consideration of proposal, which was opposed by MiC members Dilip Sharma and Balram Verma. BJP corporators too joined the protest.
Sharma stated that the speaker has no right to raise issue while sitting on the chair. He stated that if Naruka wants to raise any issue he should sit among the corporators. To this, Naruka said that he is also member of the council and he would raise the issue of multi-level parking as it is connected with public.
After listening to this, Verma and other MiC members got onto podium where the speaker was sitting and alleged that he was not functioning on prescribed lines. Naruka did not give up and said that the issue of multi-level parking is beyond rules and regulations for him. “For that issue, I can give up my chair also,” he said.
With both sides not ready to give in, MLA Usha Thakur proposed to call special council meeting for discussion on the multi-level parking. Naruka and other agreed and the issue was postponed. Earlier, Congress corporators shouted slogans against Mayor Malini Gaud when when MiC members stated that she should be felicitated for clinching cleanest city tag for Indore for second time in row.
Leader of opposition, Fozia Sheikh Alim stated that it was not the Mayor but the then municipal commissioner Manish Singh who was instrumental behind fetching cleanest city tag for Indore. The issue ended with Congress corproators presenting bouquet to the speaker instead of the mayor.
Time to reduce garbage production: Mayor
The Mayor stated that it’s high time that the city should now think of reducing the waste production. “Per person waste generation in the city is 440 grams. We have decided to encourage people to reduce it by 10 percent. We have to ensure that per person waste generation is not more than 400 grams in the city,” Gaud said. She also pressed for 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Stray dogs, a cause of concern: Oppn
Congress corporator Rubina Khan stated that stray dog issue needs to be dealt with as it has started haunting the city. She stated that some solution to the problem should be found out. Fozia Sheikh Alim also echoed the same thought. The issue of buildings declared dangerous was also raised. A BJP corproator stated that the IMC is declaring building dangerous without any proper physical verification.
Dedge said that he had proposed to constitute a committee of experts for the purpose. Alim raised the issue of installation of hoarding on toilets. She said that people install hoardings bigger than permissible size which led to obstruction of way of people into the public toilets. Dilip Sharma stated that they cut to size such hoardings and confiscate the same.