Boycott done, Sidhu now displays brotherly love with mayor Rintu
AMRITSAR: After showing resentment against his party Congress’ government over not consulting him in selection of mayors of three cities, local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday reached the office of the municipal corporation here and formally made Karamjit Singh Rintu sit in the mayor’s chair. Rintu, whose election came about amid a boycott by Sidhu and his camp’s councillors, had gone to Sidhu’s house to accompany him to the MC office, where the minister also inaugurated a health camp. No other MLA from Amritsar attended, though.
Rintu, while addressing the gathering of MC staff, used a Punjabi analogy, “Sometimes, a utensil slips from your hands and it causes an echo. But neighbours or opponents project it as fight. There is nothing like a fight here, in fact.”
Rintu termed Sidhu his elder brother, who in turn called him his younger brother and clarified his stance, “My fight has never been personal, but that of ideology and democratic ethos.” He said “nothing will stop the development of the city” to which, he said, he gives due respect “owing to its religious and historical importance”.
“Now, when the Congress has got the reins of the civic body, I am here to release all kinds of aid,” added Sidhu, sanctioning Rs 9 crore for various purposes, including a cleanliness drive. He said he would kickstart the drive on Wednesday from the houses of sanitation workers.
MC commissioner Sonali Giri and health officer Dr Raju Chohan were present too.
With the Rs 9 crore, the following works will be done: Rs 1.25 crore for supplementing absence of 345 employees in the workforce; Rs 20 lakh for 10 suction machines; 125 hand rickshaws to be bought; Rs 10 lakh for uniforms, safety masks and gloves for workers. But a major chunk is the Rs 7-crore payment to the firm SL Hitachi as ordered by the National Green Tribunal.