Indian Express 15.10.2010
Tussle over councillors’ study tour continues
Khushboo Sandhu Tags : study tour, municipal councillors, chandigarh Posted: Fri Oct 15 2010, 03:48 hrs
Chandigarh: The tussle over the study tour of the second group of municipal councillors refused to subside even on Thursday. While it has been finalised that the councillors will proceed on the tour on the scheduled date, Mayor Anu Chatrath met the UT Adviser today to discuss the issue.One group of councillors had returned from the study tour to Gangtok-Kolkata on Sunday and the other group was scheduled to leave for Kerala on October 18. Controversy had arisen after the Mayor raised the issue that the tour should be postponed as elections were scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin. Municipal Commissioner Dr Roshan Sunkaria, meanwhile, assured that he has fixed the meetings of the councillors at both the places.
Objections had been raised over the mayor being a part of the second group. Chatrath met the Adviser Pradip Mehra and said that the issue about her inclusion in the second group arose after she objected to the timing of the proposed tour. However, the officials of the UT Administration seem to be in favour of the tour leaving as per schedule.
“Tickets had been booked in my name and arrangements had been made in the hotel even before I had returned from the trip of Gangtok-Kolkata. However, when I objected to the timing of the second trip, questions were raised about inclusion of my name in the trip. I raised the issue with the Adviser,” she said.
Meanwhile it has been decided that Deputy Mayor Sheela Devi would lead the second group of councillors on the tour. In a note to the Municipal Commissioner, Chatrath has written that only councillors, their families as well as officials would be allowed to be a part of the tour.
Municipal Commissioner Dr Roshan Sunkaria says: “The tour is being held as per schedule. We have fixed meetings for all the places to be visited by the second group of councillors.”
This is not the first time that the councillors and officials of the Municipal Corporation have been involved in such fights. Issues for such bickering range from taking credit for inaugurations to names not being included on invitation cards.
The present Mayor and Commissioner have had differences earlier over the inauguration of a green belt in Mauli Jagran. The controversy had arisen when the Mayor had objected to inauguration of the greenbelt by the Commissioner, stating that since she was the elected representative it was her prerogative to inaugurate.
