Dept snaps power supply to house of Mayor’s kin

Ramkrishan Upadhyay 

 Tribune news service 

Chandigarh, April 19 

The Electricity Department today snapped the connection of a three-storey house in Maloya, which is owned by a relative of Chandigarh Mayor Rajesh Kumar Kalia. 

Sources said the department took the step as the house owner failed to deposit the bill amount of Rs 1, 43, 505 for February.

The house has four shops on the ground floor and two towers of telecom companies have been installed on the roof of the building.

Meanwhile, Mayor Rajesh Kumar Kalia accepted that the house belonged to his brother-in-law. He said as the head of the extended family, he takes responsibility for the issue. “It is not a case of power theft. The bill payment has been delayed and I will make sure that the dues are cleared,” he said. Out of the total bill, Rs 60, 000 had been paid by him and the remaining amount will be paid on Saturday, he claims. 

“This can happen to anyone and there is no need to politicise the,” Kalia added. 

However, Opposition leader Devinder Singh Babla said he would raise the issue in the next MC House meeting.