Ghaziabad Mayor misleading public, shielding corrupt: Opposition Councillors

Opposition councillors in the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation alleged on Saturday that Mayor Asha Sharma is misleading public on training of Councillors in Panchkula in Haryana and that she is shielding the corrupt.

Zakir Saifi, the leader of Congress Councillors in the House, Anand Chaudhary of Bahujan samaj Party (BSP) and Mohd. Kallan of Samajwadi Party (SP) in a joint press conference said that the Mayor had asked the opposition Councillors to send 10 names to be sent for training at Panchkula.

"In response to her letter we provided 10 names. But they were not furnished any details on how to reach there and from where to go. We continued waiting, but she did not communicate any further. When we called her over phone, she did not respond.

"The Panchkula training was meant only for the ruling BJP Councillors. The opposition Councillors were not included in the so-called 'training programme'," one of the opposition leaders said.

They also alleged that all contracts were being awarded to the firms either owned by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Councillors or by their relatives.

"No inquiry has been set up to expose the corrupt activities during previous the team which she promised during her election campaign. The infamous dustbin scam is not being probed despite promises and the entire money is being spent on painting pillars of flyovers. Municipal properties are going to land grabbers and poor vendors are being harassed in the name of encroachments," said another Councillor addressing the media.

Mayor Sharma, however, countered the charges, saying: "They are playing politics in the House. All developmental activities have been speeded up after elections. A Board meeting is being chalked out shortly to dispose of the pending works."

--IANS

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