Kaur said that she had asked the councillors to list them based on priority, and not a single AAP councillor has paid heed. (File) The Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party’s face-off in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation continues, as BJP councillor and Chandigarh Mayor Sarabjit Kaur stated that AAP is stalling development works in Chandigarh, by not submitting the list of works she had sought from all councillors. Kaur said that she had asked the councillors to list them based on priority, and not a single AAP councillor has paid heed. The AAP has 14 councillors while BJP has 13 with BJP’s Mayor in the Municipal Corporation.
Kaur, while speaking to The Indian Express, said, “I had sought from each councillor that they can list development works they want done in their respective wards to me. I can even use the Mayor’s Discretionary Fund for this purpose. But till now, not a single AAP councillor has come forward”.
However, AAP President Prem Garg stated that the BJP is just doing politics. “We met the Municipal Corporation Commissioner two days ago and discussed key issues of our councillors’ respective wards. BJP only has to play politics, nothing else. I am not aware of the Mayor talking about this to any of our councillors. We met the commissioner and we will chalk out ward wise plans and submit accordingly,” Garg stated. The mayor has a discretionary fund of Rs 2 crore. The BJP’s own councillors have already started submitting their demands of their respective wards, reportedly.
A BJP leader and former councillor on condition of anonymity, said, “It looks like they won’t get any development work done this year because it is a BJP mayor managing the affairs. We have told them several times informally that they have to answer to the public at the end of their term, not their party leaders in Delhi. They keep talking of issues like why is power being privatised. Now, how do we get that agenda for discussion when power is not under the purview of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation?”
He added, “They don’t even know the basic things. They ask questions like when will the ward development fund amount come into their account. Who will tell them that it is the government that pays the amount and not the case that the amount will be given to each of them in their bank accounts?”
BJP won the mayoral elections after one vote was declared invalid and the AAP candidate lost. With 14 votes on each side, there was a tie. However, during counting one vote was declared invalid that led to the win of BJP councillor. A mayor in Chandigarh has a one year term.
Till now, in all house meetings, BJP and AAP have been at loggerheads with each other. As a result, the the agendas either get rejected or there is voting done on the issue. If agendas are passed in the absence of AAP and Congress, they boycott the meeting or stage a walk out.
AAP now wants leasehold to freehold of property issue discussed
A WhatsApp message sent by AAP councillors, stating that the agenda of leasehold to freehold of property be discussed, has left the Municipal Corporation officials in a fix.
However, the officers informed them that it was the same agenda which they had rejected in the previous House through voting.
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