Shimla Mayor, councillor clash over road construction

The demand for a link road proposed six years ago in a ward falling under the Shimla Municipal Corporation led to a heated argument between Mayor Surinder Chauhan and BJP councillor Saroj Thakur at the monthly MC meeting that was held here today. The matter pertained to the construction of a 500-mt Badash-Mini Kuftadhar link road in the Ruldu Bhatta ward.

The councillor said that the proposal for the construction of the road was made in 2018 which was later handed over to the Public Works Department by the Corporation. She claimed that the construction of the road had not even started yet.

At the meeting, the councillor had sought the details of steps taken by the corporation regarding the construction of the road in Ruldu Bhatta ward. Replying to her, Shimla Municipal Commissioner Bhupinder Attri said she had asked for the status of the road which would be provided by the Public Works Department. He informed her that the information would be furnished in the next meeting after receiving it from the PWD.

When she insisted to know the details, the Mayor told her to file a dissent note if she was not satisfied with the answer. The Mayor accused the councillor of politicising the matter with a motive to be highlighted in the media. Though the councillor denied to file the dissent note, she later told the media that she was being pressurised to file it.