MC to reinstate all daily wagers

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 14: The Municipal Corporation today decided to reinstate all daily wagers who were earlier relieved from their respectiv...

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 14: The Municipal Corporation today decided to reinstate all daily wagers who were earlier relieved from their respective duties even after completing 240 days service in the Corporation.

The 29-member House, which met for the first time after the elections, also constituted a six-member committee for the maintenance of back lanes in the northern sectors. The issue of daily wagers was raised by former senior deputy mayor Prem Sagar Jain.

After three hours of lengthy discussion, the House was adjourned to Friday without touching major issues like property tax and taxing cable operators for using the Corporation land.

Soon after the Corporation assembled in the morning, the House took up the matter relating to expunging the objectionable language used by BJP councillor Ranjana Shahi against the Mayor in the meeting held on August 2. It may be recalled that while addressing the Mayor in a loud voice, Shahi had said: quot;Aap ko sharam aani chahiye Mayor sahib, aap afsaron se beyizatti karva rahe ho8221;, which was strongly objected to by the Mayor. This had led to a heated argument between ruling party members and BJP-SAD councillors. After the discussion, the House authorised the Mayor to remove unparliamentary language used against him.

During the question hour, the work of cleaning, removing malba and road carpeting was taken up for discussion, during which councillors devised several measures, including imposition of fine and allotment of back lanes to the owners of the building located on its sides.

Answering questions raised by councillors, Municipal Commissioner M.P. Singh assured the House that all encroachments by hoteliers would be removed within a month and said the inquiry report relating to purchase and use of bitumen had been finalised and will be placed before the House within a month. This inquiry was ordered during former mayor Gian Chand Gupta8217;s tenure. The Commissioner also assured the House that recarpeting of V6 roads will restart from October 6 on a war footing.

When the attention of the House was drawn by Gurcharan Das Kala over the acquired land being used by a section of residents in connivance with the MC officials, the Commissioner asked the Assistant Commissioner to look into the matter and submit the report with a week.

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When contacted, Mayor Kewal Krishan Adiwal said a six-member committee with Prem Sagar Jain as its convener had been constituted to go into details of the problems arising from leasing out the service lanes. Other members are 8212; Congress councillor Satinder Dhawan, nominated councillor and retired chief engineer from Haryana R.K. Aggarwal, Assistant Municipal Commissioner R.K. Rao, Chief Engineer Puranjit Singh and Superintending Engineer, Public Health, Manmohanjit Singh.

He further said the objectionable remarks made by a councillor would be treated as withdrawn and the matter will be closed forever. He denied having received any letter from Congress councillors, seeking a seat in opposition.