Chaos in Phagwara Corporation’s budget meeting

JASWANT SINGH GANDAM & RAMAN NEHRA

PHAGWARA: A piquant situation arose in the March 8 general body budget meeting of BJP-SAD run Phagwara municipal Corporation when Mayor Arun Khosla, also a BJP stalwart, had to face sharp criticism from his own party councilors as well as from alliance partner Akali councilors, much to the bemusement of the  opposition councilors of the Congress party.
The meeting had to be adjourned due to chaos.
Leaving their seats, the protesting councilors came into the well of the meeting hall in order to confront the Mayor  on various issues.
They staged a sit-in and did a walk out later. Congress councilors did sloganeering too, before trooping out, boycotting the meeting.

Though Corporation’s Rs 45.5 crore annual budget was passed , the meeting ended in uproarious scenes without transaction of any further business listed up in the agenda or addressing any development issue.
The only calm moment  was in the beginning when a two-minute silence was observed by members to pay tributes to  the martyrs of February 14 Pulwama terror attack.
Ruckus followed immediately thereafter after.
Surprisingly, Deputy Mayor cum district youth Akali Dal President Ranjit Singh Khurana led the SAD-BJP councilors in cornering their own Mayor.
Flaying the Mayor’s autocratic working style , Khurana took Khosla to task for holding the general body meeting after eight months.

“This prolonged delay in convening the meeting led to embarrassment of Phagwara BJP’s MLA Som Parkash in Punjab Vidhan Sabha session when local bodies minister questioned the delay,” Khurana said.
Accusing the Mayor of failure on all fronts, especially sanitation and sewerage, Khurana alleged that he was never taken into confidence while preparing the agenda even though he was the Deputy Mayor.
He warned of staging dharna against the Mayor in case the meetings are not held on a monthly basis in the future.
Senior Akali councilors Sarabjit Kaur, Satnam Singh Arshi and Baljinder Singh Mann were in the forefront in supporting Khurana.
They alleged that development work in their wards were at a standstill.

Congress councilors, led by Sanjeev Bugga, levelled serious allegations against the Mayor and some Corporation officials.
Bugga demanded a vigilance department probe into selling at throwaway price a Corporation shop at Banswala Bazaar and irregularities in passing the site plan of a Plaza at bypass.
Many councilors, including BJP’s Sanjay Grover and Paramjit Singh Khurana, demanded cancellation of a contract of street lights given to a private company after alleged illegal gratifications.
BJP councilor Raj Kumar Gupta alleged corrupt practices in approving a multiplex on Phagwara- Khalwara road.
Congress councilor Satya Devi raised issue of sewerage and damaged roads.
Mayor Khosla, who fumbled for words to answer the protesters’ questions, could only say that as there was a Congress government in state and grants were not being given to the Corporation because it was run by SAD-BJP.
“How can I take up development work here when state government is not releasing any funds?” asked the beleaguered Mayor.