Ward watch no. 13: A councillor who failed to fulfill her political amibitions
🔴 Hira Negi got elected from ward no. 13. She remained vocal in sharing her grievances against the party. In 2020, the seat was reserved for women and Raj Bala Malik was being fielded by the BJP as the mayoral candidate.
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Heera Negi, despite being attentive to residents’ issues, has failed to allot funds for work that needs to be prioritised. (Express File/Jasbir Malhi)Failed attempts — these two words sum up the tenure of BJP councillor Heera Negi. She always coveted either the post of mayor or the post of a member of Finance and Contract Committee. But things never went in her favour.
Negi got elected from ward no. 13. She remained vocal in sharing her grievances against the party. In 2020, the seat was reserved for women and Raj Bala Malik was being fielded by the BJP as the mayoral candidate. Negi too was expecting in vain to be considered for the post. She had revolted against the BJP city leaders and said that party workers like her are now only left to gather a crowd for events.
Negi’s stand came a day after the BJP declared Raj Bala Malik as the mayoral candidate. She said that city BJP leaders did not support her at all.
At that time, Negi had told Chandigarh Newsline, “Karyakartaon ka koi wajood nahi reh gaya ab is party mein yahan. Boht boht dukh ho raha hai mujhe. Teen baar ho chuka mere sath (Party workers are no more valued here now. I am so upset. This has happened with me thrice now).”
In 2016, Negi contested for the post of a member of Finance and Contract Committee but she was defeated despite her own party being in majority in the House.
After losing the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) elections, she had blamed the then mayor Asha Jaswal and former mayor and BJP councillor Arun Sood for her ‘shocking’ defeat.
She had openly spoken against them and said that Jaswal and Sood hatched a conspiracy, which led to her defeat. In the previous term from 2011 to 2016 when she was the councillor, Negi became the mayoral candidate in 2015 but she lost to the Congress’s Poonam Sharma. She is considered close to local MP Kirron Kher with whose support she contested for the post.
The residents of her ward maintain there was a lot to do in their area which wasn’t done. Negi represents ward no. 13 that comprises sectors 49, 50, 51 (Nizam Pur Burail), Colony No. 5, Secctor 51 brick kiln, Nizampur Kumbra, Sector 51, Sub Jail, Nimpur Kumbra and Sector 63.
Dr Harvinder Singh, president, Labour Bureau Society, Sector 49, stated how the area hasn’t seen redressal of basic issues for long now.
“City Beautiful is no longer beautiful. So far, we have not seen any action for solving waste management issues, matters addressing parking lots, freehold and completion certificate issues that people are facing,” he said.
Kailash Garg, retired senior engineer from Chandigarh Housing Board and resident of Sector 49D CHB Flats, points out they have a vacant chunk of land which has turned into a wild forest now.
“There is a big chunk of land allotted to LIC for a commercial project near CHB Flats which is lying in a neglected state for a decade now. This area has become a wild forest and has become a source of insecurity due to rowdy elements and wild reptiles to around 2000 adjoining households in the vicinity. Authorities should either ask LIC to use/maintain the land or put it to public auction,” Garg said.
Gunwant Singh, president of Sector 51 Residents Welfare Association, underlines that cleanliness is a big issue in their ward which needs immediate redressal.
“Though our area councillor is very co-operative and attentive to residents’ issues, still cleanliness is a big issue in our area. She has been using her ward development funds prudently like installation of open gyms, petty road repairs, etc,” Singh said.
“Door-to-door waste collection is yet to commence in our area. It really needs attention,” he added.
Ashok Sharma, retired engineer from MC and resident of Sector 63, said how the roads need immediate repair as they have started to come off now.
“Roads in Sector 63 which were re-carpeted recently after almost five years have started wearing off again. Many road curbs and road berms are in bad shape and need immediate repair. Cleanliness in parks is very poor and there are many dark spots,” Sharma said.
He added that now they have hopes from the new councillor.
“There is a long outstanding demand for setting up of bay shops. People have lost hope and are expecting that now new councillor will get all pending jobs done,” he added.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Negi claims that she has done several works in her ward. “We got a dispensary functional in Sector 49 and got false ceiling work of community centre repaired and made the halls sound-proof. Also, a green belt that has been lying pending for years, we got the work completed and got it inaugurated recently,” she told The Indian Express.
Negi added that in the EWS Colony of Sector 49, where water meters were underground, she got them all fixed on the walls above. “Also, we made a provision of clean water being supplied to people. Then I also got the area paved with PCC tiles that makes it easier for people.”
In Sector 50, Negi stated that she got a green belt for people, a dispensary and a community centre with a sound-proof hall and air-conditioned. She said that in Sector 51, she got a leisure valley made spread over 22 acres and also got a petrol pump for people.
Apart from this, Negi stated that she got several open-air gyms for people of her ward. She stated that from MPLAD fund she got works of over Rs 5 crore approved for her ward people.
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