Drama at Patiala MC as commissioner, contractor squabble

High drama prevailed at the Patiala Municipal Corporation as its municipal commissioner and a contractor got involved in a war of words after the commissioner allegedly slapped an employee of the contractor.

High drama prevailed at the Patiala Municipal Corporation as its municipal commissioner and a contractor got involved in a war of words after the commissioner allegedly slapped an employee of the contractor.

According to sources, the incident took place in the morning. Manish, an employee of the local contractor, was inside a lift in the MC building when Commissioner Harkesh Singh Sidhu entered it. Sidhu allegedly did not want to share the lift with him.

Sources said the commissioner found a few official files in Manish’s hands and allegedly slapped him after snatching them. This complicated the matter and the high-profile contractor, Harpal Juneja, came running to the MC office. An heated exchange of words followed and the matter was resolved only after intervention by senior functionaries.

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Later, Juneja refused to comment, claiming that “nothing happened”, while Sidhu said he had “no knowledge of the incident and the matter was concocted to defame him”.

Manish, meanwhile, was not available for comments.

Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, however, said: “The matter was sorted out amicably as there was a misunderstanding between the two.”

The incident was confirmed by eyewitnesses who said the commissioner had admitted to his mistake and sorted out the issue with the contractor.