Not invited, Dharamsala BJP Mayor Onkar Nehria miffed

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, January 19

As the Chief Minister inaugurated major development projects in Dharamsala today bickering in the local BJP came to the fore. The inauguration of the Dharamsala ropeway project left the BJP Mayor of the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation, Onkar Nehria, miffed.

The Mayor alleged that he was not invited nor made part of the inauguration ceremony. The Mayor said that the ropeway was brought in Upper Dharamsala that is part of his ward. “I was instrumental in getting the NOC for the project. I am also the first citizen of Dharamsala. However, still the neither the local authorities nor the Dharamsala Ropeways company thought it proper to invite me for the inauguration. In fact, the Dharamsala Corporation was not made part of the event,” he alleged.

Nehria, however, said, “We thank the CM for dedicating so many development projects to Dharamsala. The local district authorities and the ropeway company officials are responsible for ignoring the Dharamsala MC”.

Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor was also not present at the inauguration ceremony. He, however, joined the public address of the Chief Minister organised in the parking area of the Dharamsala secretariat. Kapoor praised former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Meanwhile, the Smart City Hotel and Restaurant Association of Dharamsala met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum of their demands. General secretary of the association, Sanjeev Gandhi demanded that the locals should be given preference in employment in Dharamsala ropeways.

“We have also requested the CM that the main Dalai Lama temple road in McLeodganj should be converted into a Mall road and vehicular traffic be banned there. Our other demands included making high tension electric wires underground and covering drains in the area,” he said.

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