Punjab Local Government Department terminates Mohali Mayor’s membership

Gaurav Kanthwal

Mohali, December 30

The Punjab’s Local Government Department has terminated the membership of BJP councillor and Mohali Mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu, alias Jeeti Sidhu, in a conflict of interest case over the allotment of tenders for development works.

On the order of Vivek Pratap Singh, Principal Secretary, Local Government, Sidhu’s membership has been terminated for violating Sections 63 and 36 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976.

Society linked to Sidhu ‘favoured’

• Amarjit Sidhu, who became Mayor on April 12, 2021, is accused of allotting public works to Amritpreet Coop L/C Society Limited, of which he is member
• On Aug 11, six AAP councillors & two ex-councillors claimed he as F&CC chief gave society works worth lakhs linked to paver blocks, tiles, kerbs, footpaths
• On Sept 15, Sidhu was served a show-cause notice and given 15 days to submit his reply. Sidhu moved the HC, but withdrew the plea later
• In his reply, he called plaint ‘politically motivated’ and sought time for personal hearing. On Dec 20, he was given opportunity for a hearing in the case

Switched over to BJP in June

On June 4, ex-Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, Mayor Amarjit Sidhu and four other ex-ministers in the Congress government joined the BJP. Three days later, 31 Congress councillors lent support to Mayor Sidhu, thereby helping him retain the post in a 50-member House. The Congress earlier had 37 councillors, while the AAP had 11, while two were Independents.

On August 11, six AAP councillors and two former councillors had written to the department, complaining about a conflict of interest with respect to the Mayor and Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) chairman, who is also a member of a society that had been awarded development works.

In the complaint, it was stated Sidhu, as Mayor and F&CC chief, “is allotting work to Amritpreet Cooperative L/C Society Limited, in which he himself is a member and beneficiary…. while exercising the functions of a Mayor, he is, in fact, allotting public works at the cost of the public exchequer to his own society in order to fraudulently mint money from the Municipal Corporation”.

In the past one year, the society has been issued work orders worth lakhs of rupees related to paver blocks, tiles, kerbs channels, parks and footpaths in separate wards. “The payment has already been made,” it was alleged.

On September 15, Sidhu was issued a show-cause notice and given 15 day to reply to the charges. Sidhu had challenged the issuance of notice in the High Court, but withdrew the plea later. He was given an opportunity for a hearing by the department in the case on December 20.

Mohali MC Commissioner Navjot Kaur said: “The next course of action will be taken after we receive further instructions from the government.”

Sidhu is currently on leave to to attend a private event in the US. Sources say Sidhu may return and approach the High Court on January 4, as the court resumes after vacation. In case elections are held, the new Mayor may be elected by a simple majority in the 49-member House, with Mohali MLA and MP having the voting right.