4 min readChandigarhJun 29, 2023 09:13 AM IST
First published on: Jun 29, 2023 at 08:07 AM IST
Nephew, children, spouse, friends — all of them are accompanying councillors and officers on Goa trip meant to see the technology of the waste plant that is to be set up in Chandigarh.
Sources said that while Congress councillor Taruna Mehta has taken her husband Yadvinder Mehta, Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat has taken her husband and daughter along.
When contacted, Rawat sent The Indian Express a picture of the cheque for Rs 52,000 paid by her for their expenses. Rawat said, “Whatever amount the tour agency told me I was to pay for two people extra, I have paid by cheque.”
Asked if this amount includes stay as well, she said, “Whatever amount was demanded for two more people with me, I paid it.” SAD councillor Hardeep Singh has taken his nephew along while BJP’s Sarabjit Kaur has taken her husband Jagtar Jagga on the official trip. The others have taken their friends along. While speaking to The Indian Express, Mayor Anup Gupta said, “In fact, they have got them at their own expenses.”
When asked what own expense means, he said that they have paid for their tickets.
The councillors and officers left on a four-day trip to Goa on Tuesday. The AAP alleged that “it is a corruption tour as they have got to know that family members and supporters of Congress and BJP too have gone on this study tour”.
The AAP termed the Goa study tour of BJP and Congress councillors “a waste of taxpayers’ money” and said it is a lobbying tour where the BJP is trying to woo Congress councillors to get their support to give out the contract of Dadumajra dumping ground”.
Addressing a press conference at the party office, AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said that Dadumajra dumping ground is a big issue for beautiful city Chandigarh. It has been there for 17 years and is getting bigger day by day.
The AAP leader said, “Congress and BJP have gulped down crores of rupees in the name of clearing this dumping ground. Contracts were given many times but always to their favourite companies to loot the public money.” Kang added that contracts should be given after discussion and voting in the House only. Kang alleged now this ‘Goa study tour’ is just another way to loot the taxpayers’ money.
“You can see there are BJP and Congress councillors, nominated people who are supporters of BJP-Congress and nine officers. What was the need to take such a big team for a study tour when taxpayers are footing the bill? Why take nine officers on such a tour? Why is no one from Dadumajra included for this tour when they are the ones facing the most dire issue here?” Kang asked.
Kang was accompanied by AAP LoP Damanpreet Singh and Dadumajra councillor Kuldeep Singh Tita. Councillors Anju Katyal, Prem Lata, Neha, Jaswinder kaur, Yogesh Dhingra, Suman, Ram Chander Yadav and Lakhbir Singh too were present at the press conference.
AAP leader Damanpreet said that “BJP and Congress councillors are accompanied by their spouses in this tour too”.
“Why should the taxpayers of Chandigarh pay for the travelling of these people? Dadumajra dumping ground is the reason for the number of diseases, including cancer, in the people living near it. Why was no initiative taken to solve this issue first? We criticise this wastage of public money through such useless tours,” said Damanpreet.
Councillor Tita said that he even requested the Governor “not to set up garbage processing plant in the residential area of Dadumajra but he didn’t listen”.
Sources said that while Congress councillor Taruna Mehta has taken her husband Yadvinder Mehta, Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat has taken her husband and daughter along. (Express photo) 
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