Year saw more political activities, less development works in city

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, December 28

Year 2022 was unenthusiastic and hapless for dispirited councillors and members of the Municipal Corporation’s General House. On February 16, three days before the Assembly elections, city Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu shifted his loyalty from the Congress to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Congress councillors, led by Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi, initiated efforts to conduct floor test to replace the Mayor, but it was not possible until the Mayor called the General House meeting.

With the formation of the new government on March 16, councillors from the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP also started joining the Mayor’s camp. Congress leaders, who were confident of winning the no-confidence motion against Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, witnessed a major setback as more than 15 councillors left the Congress and joined AAP one by one.

Bakshi and the Congress made efforts to press the Mayor to call the General House meeting for floor test, but calling the House meeting was only Mayor’s prerogative. Bakshi moved the court on April 7 to conduct the floor test. The matter was sub judice till the court dismissed the petition of the Senior Deputy Mayor in September.

City residents paid a heavy cost for this theatrics of the MC’s General House. The city witnessed several political activities across the year, but also saw stagnation in development works as the General House was defunct most of the time.

Only one General House meeting was held on November 3. The issue of reinstating 130 streetlight wing employees was the major concern of the meeting. The MC House failed to conduct Budget meeting this year. The dog sterilization project also got delayed due to the dysfunctional House.

The Senior Deputy Mayor claimed that several works needed discussion and approval of the House.