Panels sitting on reports, key issues hanging fire

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26

Several contentious issues continue to hang fire as committees approved by the MC General House have failed to table their reports.

Important matters

• Salary on the basis of GPS watches for sanitation workers
• Increased rent of Sector 23 booths
• Building violations in Sector 52 and Mauli Jagran
• Temporary water connections outside “lal dora”

About two months ago, the House had approved the formation of a committee to decide the matter pertaining to 4,000 GPS watches. Wearing these watches is mandatory for MC employees. The committee was formed after sanitation workers opposed these watches citing certain faults. The members of the committee have failed to table their report. The civic body is paying a whopping Rs18 lakh per month to the company which has supplied these smart watches on rent to the corporation.

The MC Commissioner had claimed that employees’ salaries would be prepared on the basis of data of their respective watches. However, the system has not been implemented yet.

Another committee was formed to decide on the increased rent of booths in Sector 23. It, too, has not compiled its report yet.

In the last House meeting held in November, two more committees were approved. These committees were formed to decide on the issue of regularisation of buildings violations in Sector 52 and Mauli Jagran colonies on a one-time payment basis. But these are yet to make any headway.

Another committee was formed to decide on whether to give temporary water connections to 2,128 consumers outside the “lal dora”, who are at present using the supply illegally.

The civic body expects to earn Rs 6.87 crore from the proposed connections.

“Forming committees are only a way to dilly-dally an important issue, which the MC cannot decide on. It also shows a lack of interest of councillors in resolving the city issues,” said Baljinder Singh Bittu, Chairman of FOSWAC.

While members of the committee claim they had a few meetings and would soon submit the reports, Mayor Raj Bala Malik said: “These issues required in-depth discussion, thus the committees were formed. We will soon table the reports at the MC House meeting.”

Similar is the plight of about 12 sub-committees formed under the MC Act. These committees, which are formed each year, too, have failed to deliver over the years.

Though the sub-panels are supposed to hold a meeting once a month, a majority of these met only once or twice the whole year. A few sub-committees did not meet even once during the year.