High drama, ruckus mars meet as AAP-BJP councillors clash over water crisis, terminated staff

Indian Express

2 days ago

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) House meeting held on Tuesday turned chaotic as intense arguments broke out between the councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The meeting remained entangled in disruptions and protests, with major issues like the city's water crisis, the termination of 664 tube well operators, and the alleged Rs 100-crore community centre scam dominating discussions.
The session, which started with noise and slogan-shouting, got derailed early, with the approval of previous minutes and the Zero Hour session overlapping amid continuous disruptions.
Post-lunch, discussions turned even more heated when Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla directly brought forth a proposal to grant temporary water connections to residents outside the Lal Dora (revenue) limits of 22 villages. This move drew strong objections from AAP councillors, who accused the Mayor of skipping the agenda order, leading to a noisy altercation with the BJP members.
The discussion in the House largely revolved around water scarcity, poor quality supply, and the controversial dismissal of 664 tube well operators.
AAP councillor Suman Sharma from Mauli Jagran raised concerns about the supply of contaminated water in her ward, even bringing a visibly dirty water bottle to the House as evidence. She faced counter arguments from BJP councillors including Sarbjit Kaur and nominated councillor Geeta Chauhan, who questioned the number of water tankers sent to Sharma's ward.
During the same debate, Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi questioned Rs 30 crore consultancy fee paid under the city's ambitious 24×7 water supply project, terming it 'a gross misuse of public money' and demanded the project be scrapped and investigated by vigilance authorities.
Gabi also lashed out at the civic body for terminating tube well operators, stating that these employees were not just workers but custodians of clean water for over 14 lakh residents. 'If one operator is responsible for starting three tube wells, and something is mixed into the water during that time, who will be held accountable — the Mayor or the officials,' he asked.
Banner protests, cheque controversy, and ignored allegations
At the start of the session, tensions escalated further when Congress and AAP councillors brandished photocopies of cheques worth Rs 92 crore and Rs 238 crore, respectively, which they alleged were promised grants that have yet to be received by the MC. This was in stark contrast to the last session, when BJP councillors had distributed sweets to celebrate the UT Administrator's announcement of fund approvals.
While the Congress raised the funding issue, the AAP councillors held up banners demanding action on the alleged scam in free community centre bookings, a matter they had previously highlighted in a press conference on June 1. However, the topic saw no substantial discussion beyond morning protests, despite anticipation of major revelations.
Commissioner's dissent on reinstating tube well operators
During the confirmation of previous meeting minutes, BJP councillor Kanwarjit Singh Rana raised the issue of reinstating the 664 terminated tube well operators. Many councillors supported the demand, including the Mayor. However, Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar formally recorded his dissent note, citing the MC's current financial crisis and stating that the final decision rests with the administration, not the elected body. 'No one is above the law,' he said.
Clashes within and between parties
The already tense atmosphere worsened when BJP councillors Kanwarjit Singh Rana and Dilip Sharma got into a heated argument on the House floor over the timing of discussions related to the tube well operator documents. The scuffle forced the Mayor to call a five-minute break just before 1 pm to avoid further embarrassment.
Later, another confrontation occurred between AAP councillor Ramchandra Yadav and BJP's Kanwarjit Rana over the RFP for community centres. The verbal spat nearly turned physical, but fellow councillors intervened to de-escalate the situation.
AAP stages walkout
AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra staged a walkout in protest, claiming that AAP members were intentionally denied a chance to speak during the proceedings. The AAP's Chandigarh unit president Vijaypal Singh issued a strong statement, alleging that the BJP was running the House like a 'dictatorship,' deliberately suppressing public interest issues and shielding a Rs 100 crore scam related to community center bookings.
'This is not just about documents or procedures. This is about transparency, accountability, and the voice of the people,' he said, asserting that AAP will continue to raise issues affecting the poor and marginalized.
Agenda on community centre prices deferred
The agenda on the policy guidelines for management of the community centres and dharamshalas in Chandigarh, was deferred. The Mayor stated that a survey of the facilities across all community centres in Chandigarh will be done, after which the prices of these facilities and other policy guidelines shall be decided. The matter is now expected to come up in the next House meeting.