Panchkula, June 16
The first house meeting of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation, under the chairmanship of newly elected Mayor Shyamlal Bansal, was held on Tuesday, with discussions centering on civic development, sanitation, corruption, and infrastructure projects across the city.
Addressing the meeting, Mayor Bansal spoke about the alleged multi-crore bank scam in the Municipal Corporation and said strict measures would be taken to prevent any future irregularities. He stated that the matter was currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Every person is now moving cautiously because of the scam. There will be no more corruption, and we will not allow any wrongdoing in the future,” Bansal said. He added that officials unwilling to work honestly could seek transfers.
The meeting was attended by Kalka MLA Shakti Rani Sharma, Panchkula MLA Chander Mohan Bishnoi, Municipal Commissioner officials, councillors, and officers from various departments.
During the session, councillors raised ward-specific civic concerns and discussed development projects worth crores of rupees planned under the Municipal Corporation. Congress MLA Chander Mohan Bishnoi also raised several public issues during the proceedings.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mayor Bansal said all councillors had highlighted important issues related to their wards and the concerned departments had agreed to undertake the required work.
He said sanitation arrangements in the city were also reviewed during the meeting. The corporation discussed providing adequate machinery in every ward, including one trolley and one JCB. The Mayor added that sweepers would be deployed at public toilets and weekly inspections would be conducted to ensure cleanliness standards.
Bansal further said deficiencies in community centers would be addressed, and councillors would regularly hear public grievances there. He also announced plans to build new community centers in several locations.
Regarding the water shortage, the Mayor said the problem would be resolved soon through the installation of new tube wells.
He estimated that nearly Rs 60-70 crore would be spent on the projects discussed during the meeting, with additional development works to be carried out in the future.
The Mayor also said that responsibility for sanitation in Sector 5, earlier under the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, had now been handed over to the Municipal Corporation following directions from the Chief Minister. He said the corporation would work over the next two months to remove garbage and improve greenery in the sector.
The meeting also discussed alleged non-payment issues involving parking contractors of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation. Congress MLA Chander Mohan Bishnoi suggested legal action against the contractors. Responding to the issue, Mayor Bansal said that notices would first be issued and that FIRs could be registered if no satisfactory response was received.
Reiterating his stand on corruption, Bansal said the administration would remain strict to ensure transparency and accountability in civic functioning.
