Mohali councillor Sarabjit Singh Samana calls Mohali Mayor ‘complete failure'; Sidhu says MC facing severe fund crunch
Speaking with The Indian Express, Samana said the Mayor had recently claimed to give a 24-hour ultimatum to meet the Mohali MLA but 'has not shown up till today (Tuesday).' 'The Mayor should stop playing hide-and-seek and come to MLA Kulwant Singh's office anytime if he genuinely wants to solve Mohali's issues,' he added.
Targeting Sidhu's handling of the garbage crisis, Samana alleged, 'until MLA Kulwant Singh raised the Samgoli issue, the Mayor didn't even know about it. Even after visiting the site, he's only making delaying statements, though the access road is the corporation's responsibility'. He said the crisis could have been avoided had action been taken when the dumping ground shut down 18 months ago.
On the drainage issue, Samana claimed the Mayor talks about a Rs 200-crore project 'without bringing it to the House, passing it, or even presenting a survey report.' Taking a dig, he said: 'the Mayor is an expert in airy statements. He even said in public that saving his chair for four years would be his biggest success which shows staying in power is his only goal'.
The councillor also took a swipe at the Mayor's elder brother, former MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu, saying, 'Despite holding no constitutional post, Balbir Sidhu claims he is getting works done, while the Mayor says his works aren't done. Either one is lying, or both are. It seems Balbir has taken the contract to lie in villages, and the Mayor in the city'.
Meanwhile, in a counter move, Mayor Sidhu, through his representative, delivered a copy of a letter addressed to the Chief Minister at MLA Kulwant Singh's office. The letter seeks a Rs 600-crore grant for 15 major projects, including resolving the garbage problem, rainwater drainage, city bus service, replacing asbestos sewage pipes, and constructing an auditorium.
In the letter, the Mayor stated that Mohali MC faces a severe fund crunch as it has 'no independent sources of income,' while GMADA 'earns billions by selling land in Mohali but does not provide necessary funds.'
Sidhu said he has now sent full expenditure details to the MLA as requested. 'Now it's up to the MLA to tell when he will go to the Chief Minister for this grant. I, along with my fellow councillors, am ready anytime to accompany him,' the Mayor added.
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To make space for these people and the factories, roads and schools they would need, India must unclog its land bottleneck now. Land readjustment offers a ready-made, tested tool. It is time to bring in this 21st-century approach: fairer to landowners, faster for builders, and ultimately a lot less bloody than our old battles over every acre. Land in India is precious, but it doesn't have to be a prison. Land pooling and readjustment could transform the way India grows, turning land from a roadblock into a springboard for inclusive development. The blueprint that works exists: from Japan's reborn Tokyo to Gujarat's smart-planned suburbs. Now India must act, so that its next-generation cities are built not on conflict, but on consensus and shared gain. The author is a policy consultant at Nation First Policy Research Centre (NFPRC). He tweets @deepeshgulgulia. Views are personal. (Edited by Prashant)
