MC defaults on payment,contractors wait for dues

In another case,the civic body had organised Lohri celebrations this year. School and college students had performed at the function. Ankur School in Panjab University had demanded some amount be paid for costumes that children had hired. An amount of Rs 2,500 is yet to be paid to the school even though almost a year has passed.

A professional singer who had been hired for the function is also waiting his dues apart from the dholi who had regaled the audience at the function.

Councillor MPS Chawla informed the House that the payment for the furniture that was purchased for the Mayor’s room two years back was not made. Some councillors rued that even the payment for the shawls purchased to honour guests at functions was yet to be reimbursed.

Chatrath stated that it was because of this attitude of the civic body that no small contractor was willing to come forward to take up any work. “A complaint that is often repeated in the House is that contractors are not available to take up work. It is because of the attitude adopted while clearing the bills. Payments should be released on time otherwise no one else would come forward again,” said Chatrath.

Municipal Commissioner Dr Roshan Sunkaria assured that he would look into the issue and payments would be made soon.

Exemption to Babla: BJP seeks annulling of meet
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while expressing discontent with the proceedings of the House meet of the Municipal Corporation where Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla was given an exemption from attending meetings will write to the UT Administrator to annul the proceedings. The party is also demanding action against the Mayor for allowing the proceedings to take place.

Babla had sought exemption from attending House Meetings till December due to personal reasons. The BJP leaders state that since everyone knows that Babla is absconding,an attempt has been made to mislead the House by bringing such an agenda for discussion.

General Secretary of the city unit of the party Sanjay Tandon said it is a known fact that Babla is evading arrest. Instead of co-operating with the police,the Mayor is deliberately violating rules. It was unethical to include the agenda in the House Meet. It shows that Congress does not respect the rules of the corporation.

The police had earlier written a letter to the Mayor asking for co-operation in catching Babla. A report by the SSP was also brought to the House yesterday. However,the Municipal Commissioner was not allowed to present the report.

As per rules,a councillor who does not attend House Meetings for three consecutive months ceases to be a member of the House. The councillors of the opposition had staged a walk out on the issue. They had alleged that the agenda should never have come to the House.