Surprisingly, Chandigarh’s municipal corporation has taken back its plan to lease out 32 acres of farmland on the outskirts of the Union Territory for commercial purposes. This comes after the withdrawal of Congress and (AAP) members` support for the idea.
The proposal, which aimed to lease land in four villages—Chahar Taraf Burail, Khuda Lahora, Khuda Alisher, and Dadumajra—was met with dissent from BJP councillors and some within the AAP leadership, including Prem Garg. Despite objections, the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) had initially recommended the proposal for consideration in the House meeting on June 11. However, the final decision to lease the land was postponed due to the absence of BJP councillors during the meeting.
Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, affiliated with AAP, instructed municipal officials to withdraw the proposal after a joint reconsideration by Congress and AAP councillors, along with senior party leaders like MP Manish Tewari and AAP co-incharge SS Ahluwalia. Their consensus reflected concerns over potential financial losses to the municipal corporation and the implications of privatising public agricultural land.
“We decided to immediately withdraw this proposal as it seemed to be taken without considering all the aspects and needed to be withdrawn,” remarked HS Lucky, the Congress president. This abrupt change in stance highlights the complexities involved in managing public resources and the need for thorough deliberation before making significant decisions.
The controversy surrounding the proposal intensified as BJP councillors raised objections and approached UT adviser Rajeev Verma to address their concerns regarding the legality and long-term implications of leasing out valuable municipal land. Senior Deputy Mayor Kuljeet Singh Sandhu underscored the sensitivity of the issue, emphasizing the historical legal battles over municipal properties and the risk of further legal entanglements if the land were to be leased.
In response to the withdrawal, municipal commissioner Anindita Mitra confirmed the cancellation of the public notice for leasing the agricultural land. Moving forward, both Congress and AAP leaders have pledged to conduct joint pre-house meetings before each session to ensure such contentious proposals are thoroughly vetted and discussed, aiming to prevent future controversies over municipal decisions.
The decision to withdraw the proposal marks a significant shift in policy direction for the municipal corporation, reflecting the challenges of balancing development goals with public interest and legal considerations in urban planning and governance.
