Mayor-MC officials’ tussle: Sidhu to meet Raja tomorrow

JALANDHAR: The deadlock between mayor Jagdish Raja and municipal corporation (MC) officials is expected to break as local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday called up a meeting Raja to discuss the issue on Friday. The meeting was earlier scheduled on Tuesday.

Raja said the MC has sent the proceedings of the last house meeting to the local bodies department.

“I have asked the officials to review the minutes of the meeting and find evidences that can ascertain their claim that councillors used unconstitutional language and called them chor (thief) during the house meeting,” said Jagdish Raja.

“So far, we have not been able to find any evidence to support the claim. I was hoping to get a hold of some video recordings to help us come to some conclusion before having a talk with the minister,” he said.

After some councillors on October 18 confronted building branch inspector Neeraj Sharma for sealing an unauthorised construction in Rama Mandi area, officials of all departments of the MC walked out of the House meeting during the zero hour.

CONFUSION IN THE MUNICIPAL ACT

Two days back, MC officials, in a memorandum to municipal commissioner Diprava Lakra, had asserted that they will not answer questions of the councilors directly. The mayor or commissioner will relay their reply that will be submitted in writing by them. Raja said if Lakra decided to agree with the demands, he will have to issue an official order.

“As per the Municipal Act, it’s not the mayor or commissioner who answers the councillors on every issue but the officials,” he said. Civic body officials, however, said the Municipal Act doesn’t state that the staff has to answer the questions of the elected councillors during the House proceeding.