After commotion, MC discusses development
Protests by Congress councillors fail; zero hour proceedings in House for first time after two-and-a-half years
JALANDHAR: The general House meeting of the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar (MCJ) started on a violent note on Friday with opposition councillors resorting to hooliganism in the House over a statement made by the mayor against a female Congress councillor during the budget meeting.
The commotion ensued with the commencement of the meeting, when Jagdish Raja demanded an apology from the mayor against his remark in which the mayor had said “I will give condolences to the Congress every month” –a jibe over a speech made by Congress’s Dalvinder Kaur.
Mayor refused to apologise and said that no such statement was made by him, after which Jagdish Raja, Desh Raj Jassal, Surinder Kaur and Pawan Kumar – councillors of the Congress party – started shouting slogans against the mayor stalling the proceedings of the House.
As the matter flared up, the Congress seemed divided, as the members of Dynamic Group of Councillors, a sub-group within the Congress blamed Raja for disrupting the House. However, Dalvinder Kaur, for whom Raja was seeking apology lost her cool and smashed the coffee cup.
After almost two hours after the commencement of the House, a compromise was reached. Following the incident the mayor disrupted the discussion over the agenda of the House and initiated the zero hour – a first in two-anda-half-year tenure of the House.
NEW AGENDA
Proposal number 10, 13, 35 and 62 of the new agenda which was discussed during the genral House meeting of the MCJ have been stalled. While proposal 10, mooted a cess for stray cattle maintenance failed to get the nod of the House proposals 13, 35 and 62 pertained to chnage of land use, clothes for fire-brigade staff and installation of street lights repectively.
THE FACE-OFFs
The first half of the House meeting saw heated arguments between mayor Jyoti and other councillors, particularly opposition leader Jagdish Raj Raja.
“Either let me ask questions or tell the House that you are not ready to face tough questions. Your agenda is long and House meetings happen after eternity so cut the proposals and have a healthy discussion,” said Raja, to which Jyoti replied: “Raja Saab, you are flaring up on little issues which show that you are more interested in ruining the proceedings. I will hold House meeting every month and answers councillors’ questions well before the House meetings.”
Raja also raised the issue of erection of information boards for road repair works to which Gurpreet Khera said that anyone who needed additional information can always file RTIs.