21 councillors pass no-confidence motion against Zirakpur MC chief
Zirakpur, July 15
Twenty-one councillors of the local Municipal Council, along with Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa, today passed a no-trust motion against president of the civic body Udayvir Singh Dhillon.
The action began in the morning when the councillors arrived together in a bus and walked into the office. The councillors and the MLA claimed the two-thirds majority in the 31-member House. Dhillon and councillors from his faction were not present.
An hour later, Congress councilllor Ajitpal Singh was appointed the officiating chairman of the civic body till the next elections are held.
Dhillon said, “The meeting is illegal. We approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court has sought all record and the videography of today’s meeting. Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain has been appointed the administrator of the civic body. The next date of hearing is July 22.”
After hearing for one and a half hours, the court also put the Punjab Government, the Zirakpur Municipal Council and the 21 councillors who passed the no-trust motion to file their reply till next Monday.
AAP MLA Randhawa said, “All councillors, rising above the party lines, have taken this decision for the betterment and development of Zirakpur. For the past two years, the development works had come to a standstill. I assure full support to the new team.”
SAD leader Yadvinder Singh said, “The MLA and 21 councillors extended their support to the move. We want the development of all wards, irrespective of the party the councillor belongs to.”
Earlier, eight councillors from SAD, another eight from AAP, two from BJP and three from ruling Congress had written to Executive Officer Ashok Pathriya to call a meeting of the House. On the day of the special meeting (July 5 ), which was convened by the MC president, they did not come, citing aberrations in the procedure to call the meeting. Only seven councillors, who were supporters of the MC president, had turned up at the meeting besides Dhillon.
