APP councillor Jasbir Singh called the tour a waste of public funds. Unmoved by wide criticism from various quarters for splurging crores of public funds on their junkets cum ‘study tours’, councillors of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation have not just approved a trip to Goa but also added Mumbai to the itinerary. This decision was taken at the civic body’s general house meeting held Tuesday.
As voting was done for the approval of this agenda, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors opposed the trip while BJP and Congress voted in favour of it. Since the votes in favour were 21 out of 35, the agenda was
approved.
When the number of days designated for each city was being discussed, BJP councillor Kanwar Rana said that the allotted three nights for Goa was “really less” and called for the addition of another night.
With an additional one night in Goa and trip to Mumbai, the cost which was initially estimated to be Rs 14.72 lakh will go up.
The trip is yet another one to study waste management. Councillors have taken similar to other states and even countries to improve the city’s waste processing infrastructure. Despite these ‘study tours’, the city ranked 66th in the national Swachh Survekshan index; UT stood 16th nationally in the previous ranking.
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Calling the tour a waste of public funds, APP councillor Jasbir Singh said: “Everyone knows the tours undertaken in the previous years. What did we yield from those trips? Moreover, why don’t we spend this amount on something else constructive rather than splurging it on a tour to Goa? And as far as swachhta or waste management is concerned, everyone knows how we are slipping down in the position and have reached 66th rank.”
In response, BJP councillor Kanwarjeet Rana said: “Such tours have been taking place since Corporation has been formed, so what is the point of not undertaking it now.”
He went to say, “sabko seekhna he…ek submission hai…ki teen nights ka jo banaya hai…ye boht chota tour hai…teen din mein humare jaane aane mein hi lag jayenge…iske andar ek night add kar do or Bombay bhi add kiya jaaye…kam se kam Goa ka tour to four nights or five days ka kiya jaaye (Everybody wants to learn…I have one submission..this trip to Goa which has been made of three nights is increased to four nights and five days as within just three days, one does coming and going. Rather also see if Mumbai can be added to the travel itinerary,” Kanwar jeet Rana said.
“If Jasbir Singh doesn’t want to learn, it is his perspective,” Rana said.
Anindita Mitra and Chief Engineer NP Sharma had seen Goa and Mumbai plants in June and July this year.