Punjab Governor Purohit questions ‘viability’ of AAP’s free water announcement in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, March 14

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has not sought permission regarding the decision to provide 20,000 litres of free water to every family in the City, and it has not disclosed how it will arrange for such resources, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit said on Thursday.

Questioning the viability of the decision, Purohit said this isn’t “jungle raj” and there is a system that everyone has to follow.

Purohit also refuted allegations by Mayor Kuldeep Kumar that the Chandigarh Administrator had insulted him at an event recently.

The Municipal Corporation (MC) General House recently gave its approval to the agenda of providing 20,000 litres of free water to every family of Chandigarh.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Kuldeep Kumar had recently assumed charge as the mayor after the Supreme Court overturned the result of the mayoral poll in which the BJP candidate had emerged the winner.

The apex court judgment had come after allegations of tampering with ballots during the January mayoral polls.

Addressing a press conference here, Purohit said, “If they want to supply 20,000 litres of free water, they have to prepare papers, they have to make it clear about the resources, what amount will be spent towards it. But they have made no calculation. There is nothing with the MC commissioner. No permission has been taken.”

The governor said the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s expenditure is around Rs 1,150 crore-Rs 1,200 crore and the revenue generated is Rs 500 crore.

“There is a deficit of nearly Rs 600-Rs 700 crore. They seek money from the Union territory. We seek the same from the Centre. We have to justify things (expenses),” he said.

“We are giving them Rs 560 crore from the UT. If we don’t give this grant, they cannot even make payment to employees,” the governor said.

Adding further on the water issue, Purohit said the revenue generated from water supply is Rs 107 crore and losses amount to around Rs 150 crore-Rs 175 crore.

“And they are talking of giving it for free. They don’t have money but they are making announcements arbitrarily,” he said.

“If they have to do it, first they should justify and give details of how they intend to do it. They do not take permission from us and make announcements on their own,” Purohit said.

If they explain how they intend to generate resources, and I am convinced then I will give the “green signal”, he said.

“It is a fraud on the people of Chandigarh. Do they want to stop the progress of Chandigarh. Where is the demand from people of Chandigarh to give water for free. They announce it arbitrarily,” Purohit said.

The governor said this was the AAP’s plan to trick the people in view of the general elections and to “defame the administrator”.

“I control the finance of the UT. Am I not responsible to safeguard public interest? It is public money,” he said.

Questioning the proposal’s viability does not mean he does not want to approve it, the UT administrator added.

The Governor also responded to charges by Mayor Kuldeep Kumar who claimed that Purohit had insulted him at an event here.

Terming the allegation “baseless”, Purohit said local AAP leaders get orders from Delhi, in reference to the party’s central leadership.

“I have made sacrifices for poor people. I have taken lathis for their rights, I have spilled blood, will I insult anyone,” he said.

“I have worked with full honesty all my life. I pay my food bills in Raj Bhawan. I bear all expenses of my guests from my own pocket,” he added.

Purohit also came to defence of Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, whom Kumar had accused of “sanitising the mic after he spoke”.

“The MP is a cancer patient. She has to be careful… If she cleaned the mic because of her health issue, did she commit a sin?” he asked.