‘Yes, I stalled the paver works’: Commissioner Anindita Mitra, says ‘civic body facing severe financial crisis’

Responding to the allegations by the AAP councillor, Mitra asked Jasbir to specify the name of the officer against whom he is levelling allegations. “Unsubstantiated allegations may not be levelled against the officials, I would like to clearly mention here,” Mitra told the General House of the MCC.

The commissioner stated the agendas have been put on hold by her because of the poor financial condition of the civic body. She added that not just in the AAP councillor’s ward, but the works of pavers and tiles in the entire city has been held back.

“Irrespective of the area of any councillor, agendas of all pavers and tiles have been stalled. And I have stalled them, not any other officer. In the last two-three months, I have not given out any tender for all of these works like pavers or tiles because the financial condition of the civic body is not good at all,” the commissioner said.

After Mitra’s reply, Jasbir clarified that he “never hinted that any officer is behaving in any underhand way”.

The financial condition of the MCC has been going through a crisis, officials say, so much so that the civic body is struggling to pay salaries of the staff as well. Only funds to the tune of Rs 32 crore have been left in the coffers, officials claim.

The corporation stated that they have been waiting to get the grants from the central government – the funds that they should have received by June-end.

The civic body’s monthly expenditure, including salaries and committed liabilities, is Rs 58 crore while only with Rs 32 crore in the coffers. It is still awaiting the revenue from water receipts and other sources of revenue.

The MCC is highly dependent on the grant in aid from the administration, which the latter receives from the central government.

Rs 7 crore to revamp cremation ground smells of corruption: BJP

While registering suggestions and objections on the confirmation of the previous minutes, BJP’s Kanwarjeet Rana stated that the saffron party opposes the revamp of the cremation ground at Sector 25 that is proposed to be done at Rs 7 crore.

“We strongly register our objection to the cremation ground revamp. Spending Rs 7 crore on it clearly smells of corruption. We will not let it happen,” Rana said.

Countering Rana’s remarks, Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh said that now the BJP has a problem with a person’s last rites ceremony which the AAP-Congress wants to give “in a better way” with the revamp.