Has Patiala the distinction of two mayors’? Works allotted by mayors may land in legal tangle
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Patiala city development works may land in legal tangle as the city has two Mayors’ and they are working at their own, without considering the legality of the work. Both mayors’ are clamming “I am the mayor/ I am the acting mayor and I am doing the development of the city.”
The local bodies department, Municipal Corporation officials, residents are in dilemma –who is the original mayor? Who orders to be followed? Which development work is legal? Which allotted tender is legal? Because the legality of the orders is not cleared, till the matter is not cleared –who is the mayor? The matter is sub judice and is in the high court.
Even the local bodies department is not cleared over the issue. Till date department has not issued any official orders- suspension of Sanjeev Sharma Bittu and Yoginder Singh Yogi as acting mayor of the municipal corporation Patiala.
Today, acting mayor Yoginder Singh Yogi held a press conference and said “yesterday he had convened the F&CC meeting and allotted tenders of Rs 17.79 crores, for the development of the city. The amount was allotted by the congress government. Even the tender of Rs one crore work was allotted in the mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu ward.”
To this mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu objected and said “this is an illegal meeting. This F&CC meeting was held by flouting the law and mocked the Hon’ble High Court.”
Has Patiala the distinction of two mayors’? Works allotted by mayors may land in legal tangle . When contacted Director Local bodies, Puneet Goyal, to know-whether these tenders, works allotted has any legal sanctity, are legal ,as its not officially known-who is the mayor, he said “ let the proceedings comes to us. We will evaluate it and then decide/ take decision.’
Sanjeev Sharma Bittu said yesterday “I am the full fledged mayor of the city. By law, I needed the confidence of 21 councilors and received a total of 25 votes, while those who brought no-confidence motion needed 42 votes out of the total members present in the House, but they could only get 36 votes. So, I am the mayor and the local bodies department has not issued any orders of my suspension”
Yoginder Singh Yogi, senior deputy mayor, who was allocated the charge of acting mayor by the majority of members present during the MC’s General House meeting of November 25, claiming he is acting mayor of the corporation. Yogi said he was allocated the charge of acting mayor of the corporation as per the decision of the General House meeting. “The General House is the supreme body of the corporation. It allocated me with the charge and as such I am functioning as per its requirements
December 14,2021
