Ward members create ruckus at MC board meeting

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, October 17

High drama was witnessed at the Municipal Council board meeting today when ward members, barring three, created a ruckus, accusing MC president Manmohan Singh Mall of trying to give away 66 bighas of the municipal land at Bhatta Fall and Mussoorie Lake to his supporters. They said the MC president was trying to lease out the shops and the Raen Basera to his near and dear ones covertly.

The mayhem started when MC members were waiting for the meeting to begin at the council hall, but, according to them, MC president Manmohan Singh Mall summoned only three members, namely Arvind Gusain, Shivani Bharti and Virendar Panwar, to his office to conduct the meeting. Subsequently, Mall passed some resolutions in the presence of the three ward members sans the assembly of the quorum, said others.

MC member Arvind Gusain said the president acted in accordance with the law as the last two meetings were cancelled due to lack of quorum and opposition of the several members, who agitated today. “According to norms, if three meetings in a row are not convened, the MC president has the right to clear the proposals at the next meeting even if the presence of the members is minimal,” he said.

He rubbished the allegations that the MC chief was trying to give away some land to his supporters. “He is trying to demarcate the municipal land as it is being encroached upon by anti-social elements,” he added.

Other members, namely Beena Panwar, Rami Devi, Ramesh Bhandari, Vinod Semwal, Sashi Rawat and Kuldeep Rawat, alleged that the proposals were cleared illegally today.

MC member Anuj Gupta said a ropeway was being constructed at Bhatta Fall to benefit contractors with whom MC president Manmohan Singh Mall is in a partnership. Rubbishing the allegations, Mall said MC members hadn’t attended the past three meetings so he had to resort to such a legal step.

Meanwhile, the agitated ward members rushed to Dehradun District Magistrate Ravinath Raman and apprised him about the situation. Raman directed the Mussoorie SDM to investigate and submit a report for further action.