BHOPAL: The mayor council president and the mayor of Bhopal municipal corporation Alok Sharma charged Congress government with meting out “step motherly treatment” to BJP Mayors.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Sharma accused the government of trying to curb the powers of the BJP ruled municipal corporations and hampering the development work by withholding funds. “State government is trying to curb powers of Mayors as they have issued notices for removal of Mayors in three civic bodies in the state,” said Sharma, who is also president of MP Mayor Federation.
The mayor council president and the mayor of Bhopal municipal corporation Alok Sharma have organised the press conference and had raised various issues against the state government.
The indifferent attitude of the state government toward the municipal corporation was also affecting the working of civic bodies and projects undertaken by them, said the Mayor. The statement comes two days after Mayor and BJP MP Alok Sanjar were not invited at inauguration of new building of Mangalwara police station on Wednesday. Earlier too, the Mayor was peeved at the treatment meted out to him during a Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhimaan Yojana. Sharma was denied an opportunity to propose vote of thanks during the programme, following which he had walked out of the event in a huff.
The development fund that the corporation rightly deserves has not been released, said Sharma elaborating that state government has stopped the release of Rs 220 crore meant laying down water pipelines, tanks and other projects under Amrut Yojana. Amount of Rs 122 crore for the housing for all has also not been released, he added. Besides, the government also withheld Rs 56 crore of stamp duty and Rs 28 crore of toll tax to be given to the corporation. Terming delimitation of BMC as one sided decision, Sharma said the state government never took them in confidence while taking such an important decision of creating Kolar municipality.
Charges politically motivated: Congress
All allegations of Mayor council president are baseless, false and politically motivated, said Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja, here on Friday.Saluja stated that the allegations of the mayor regarding hindering the development works and harassing them were baseless. The government has not stopped any amount to be given to the municipal corporation, claimed Saluja. The allegations are politically motivated because of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he added. The Congress government after coming to power in state has taken steps to wipe out corruption.
