Numerous MC panels, but no result in sight

The most recent announcement was for constitution of a panel to decide whether certain sub-committees of the civic body should be given financial powers.

Almost a fortnight after it was announced, the committee is yet to be constituted.

A panel was constituted a few months back to select technology for installation of a new sewerage treatment plant. Questions were raised over the selection of members and new names were added.

After much contemplation the committee visited a plant in Delhi. Proposal is on the anvil for visiting another city where a plant of a different technology is installed.

Meanwhile, the process of installation of the plant is being delayed.

A councillor stated that a committee comprising of councillors is not competent to take a decision on technology that can be used. "Inspection of the plants can be done, but the committee members are not technically sound. They can compare the technologies, but not take a final call," he said.

The chairman of the committee constituted to probe the anomalies in laying of pipelines resigned in the first meeting. Thereafter it was decided that the probe be handed over to the Vigilance Officer of the MC.

A constant demand of the councillors was that the PWD manual be followed for which this should be studied properly. A committee was constituted, but meetings have not been held. The demand of the members of the committee to be provided with a copy of the manual was also not fulfilled.

Councillor Harjinder Kaur, who had raised the demand for the committee, said that the idea was to have a proper system in place.

"The person who moots a certain idea should head the committee. This year, however such committees were headed by only Congress councillors. The leadership spirit was missing. The focus of the ruling party was not on development," she said.

In fact committees were constituted in the general house whenever discussion on an issue turned controversial or these were referred to the sub-committees that are already in place. Most of these have yielded no result.

The only committee that submitted its report was the one that benefitted the councillors. The committee had recommended that the ward development fund of the councillors be increased to Rs 1 crore.

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