Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 9

Sixty resolutions related to development works, infrastructural issues and service of employees were passed during a meeting of the General House of the Municipal Corporation. Besides, eight resolutions were opposed by Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi and Deputy Mayor Younis Kumar following which the House decided to keep these pending.

The Deputy Mayor opposed the MC move wherein a letter was written to the Department of Local Bodies to regularise sewermen working in 'mohalla sudhar committees' from 2012-16. "When the state government asked to regularise the employees, the MC should regularise all even those who have not completed a term of three years. The sanitation workers who served during Covid-19 should be regularised on priority," Bakshi said.

Councillors, officials sans mask

A number of councillors were absent while several left the meeting midway. Most councillors did not participate in the discussion on the resolutions passed in the House. Though residents and the media were not allowed to enter the meeting hall in view of the Covid-19 restrictions, a large number of councillors and MC officials were not wearing a mask.

MC Commissioner Malwinder Singh Jaggi elaborated the policy but Younis Kumar expressed dissatisfaction over it.

The resolution numbers 59 to 62 were also opposed by the Deputy Mayor. These resolutions were about dismissing the services of three sewermen and a clerk of the MC due to long absence.

Younis claimed that most of the time, officials don't mark their attendance due to some personal rivalry. "The cases are needed to be verified and we have to listen to the sewermen before sacking them," said Deputy Mayor.

New Commissioner welcomed

During the meeting, the new Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, Malwinder Singh Jaggi, was welcomed by members of the House. Additional Commissioner Sandeep Rishi, who has been recently promoted to the IAS, was also felicitated by the House.

The Senior Deputy Mayor alleged the connivance of MC officials with a contractor, who was given the job of repairing tubewells despite his bad conduct, which was highlighted during the previous House meeting.

The proposal of leasing the MC land to set up charging stations for e-vehicles at 10 prime locations of the city was also opposed by Bakshi. "The MC is going to lease out the prime location to Smart City for Rs100 per month for 11 years. The Smart City will sublet these charging stations to some private company and earn lakhs. We will not allow loot of MC assets," he added. The House put the resolution pending.

The proposal of outsourcing garbage collection from the walled city areas was also opposed by the Mayor’s deputies. They claimed that it was a violation of an MoU signed with the solid waste management company. “The costly machines brought by the civic body should not be handed over to private players. The clauses of hiring firms for garbage collection are also faulty. The resolution requires more homework and a study of challenges of garbage collection in the walled city,” said the Deputy Mayor. The resolution was also put in the pending list.

The senior leaders also opposed the resolution to sell MC properties and sought that their details be given to the House.

The resolution regarding development works at Durgiana Temple was also opposed for 'faulty' procedures adopted during the tendering.

Congress leaders also opposed the ongoing installation of gas pipeline, claiming that it was damaging roads, water pipelines and sewer lines. "The MC spent Rs1.5 to 4 crore in each ward of the city on roads, water pipelines and sewer lines," said Bakshi.