Ranchi: JMM on Thursday accused Ranchi mayor Asha Lakra and deputy mayor Sanjiv Vijaywargia of blocking developmental work in many wards under Ranchi Municipal Corporation’s (RMC) jurisdiction on grounds of political vendetta.
JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya rallied seven ward councillors -- all of them belonging to tribal and other minority groups -- and demanded that the state government do a special audit of RMC’s expenditure and the work orders received since 2015. Bhattacharya produced a list of work which he and the disgruntled councillors claimed were either deferred or scrapped by Lakra. The work detailed in Bhattacharya’s list were construction of drains, roads, installations of electric poles and hand pumps.
He said that Lakra, Vijawargia and BJP’s Ranchi MLA C P Singh, who was the urban development minister from 2015 to 2019, connived during the tenure of former chief minister Raghubar Das to deliberately block developmental work in wards where the saffron party did not have a vote base. “The work orders and tenders issued by RMC are being handed to a select few at the behest of the mayor and deputy mayor. During Singh’s tenure as the urban development minister, there were many shady work which were done, such as the rejuvenation of Harmu river, beautification of Bada Talab, etc.,” he claimed.
Singh could not be reached for his comments and Lakra, on the other hand, denied the allegations but refused to comment on the matter further upon contact.