BJP fumes as mayor makes 2 nominations to finance panel

Despite opposition by the councillors of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), mayor Harchran Singh Gohalwaria has nominated two members of the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC). Two councillors, Jagbir Singh Sokhi of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Balkar Singh of Congress were nominated as the F&CC members.

With the nomination of Sokhi and Balkar as the F&CC members, the BJP councillors have complained, via phone, to local bodies minister Anil Joshi again, while raising questions against the nomination. Earlier, the BJP councillors had also moved the Punjab and Haryana high court against the proposal to allow the mayor to nominate the two members of the F&CC.

However, the mayor said he had taken the step after getting support of the other councillors, who wanted him to nominate any two members for the F&CC. He said the SAD had alliance with the BJP and there was no problem. But he refused to comment when asked about opposition by the BJP councillors.
The nomination process of the two members of the F&CC had been hanging fire since the MC House was formed in 2012. However, a proposal was presented in the House meeting on December 20 to allow the

mayor to nominate the two F&CC members, but the BJP councillors had opposed it.
A controversy had then come to light when the secretary of the MC sent “approved” proposal to the local bodies government, but the BJP councillors had accused that the proposal was not approved by the MC House on December 20. The BJP councillors had raised questions that the secretary had allegedly sent wrong proposal, but the secretary had refused the allegations.

The BJP councillors were demanding election for nomination of the F&CC members and they had also moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the proposal to allow the mayor to nominate the two F&CC members. Sources said the local government had to take decision in 21 days on the proposal (demanding to allow the mayor to nominate the two members), but the MC has not received any letter in this regard.

While expressing their anger, BJP councillor Inder Agarwal on Wednesday claimed that it was a “dictatorial order” as the mayor has nominated the two members as per his wish. “We have complained to the minister. How he can nominate the members when the proposal was pending with the local government? We are waiting for the hearing in the high court on January 19,” he added.