Row over F&CC expansion as Congress seeks inclusion

Ludhiana: Following reports that two more members may be added to the municipal corporation's finance and contracts committee (F&CC) to complete the quorum, Congress leaders have written to mayor Inderjit Kaur, urging her to include a member from the Congress party, which is the second-largest party in the MC House. The mayor has so far not disclosed the names of the two additional members proposed for inclusion in the committee.According to sources, the move to add two more members is aimed at easing the pressure created by senior deputy mayor Rakesh Prashar and deputy mayor Prince Johar in clearing proposals. There is speculation that both new members may be taken from the ruling party, reducing the mayor's dependence on the senior deputy and deputy mayors for approvals. Sources also linked the development to the mayor's announcement during the MC budget House meeting regarding clearing resolutions through the table agenda.District Congress committee president and former MLA Sanjay Talwar, in his letter to the mayor, said it was being indicated that the MC would soon complete the required number of members in the F&CC by inducting councillors into the committee. He stated that as per rules, it is mandatory to include a councillor from the main opposition party in the finance and contracts committee.The letter noted that the Congress is the principal opposition party in the MC and therefore a Congress councillor should be made a member of the F&CC committee in accordance with the rules.Referring to precedent, Talwar recalled that during the tenure of former mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria, senior-most Congress councillor Balkar Singh Sandhu was inducted into the committee. However, when Sandhu later became mayor during the Congress regime, the quorum of the finance and contracts committee was not completed throughout the term.MSID:: 129981688 413 |