Munish Sood
Mandi
Balh MLA Inder Singh Gandhi on Monday expressed concern over the state government’s decision to retain Beina Ward No. 14 and Doudhi Ward No. 15 under the Mandi Municipal Corporation, urging the government to reconsider the matter in view of the demands of local residents.
Raising the issue in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Gandhi said the government’s response to his question regarding the inclusion of these areas in the Municipal Corporation was “worrying and anti-people”. He urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh to review the decision and restore the two wards to the Panchayati Raj system in accordance with the wishes of the people.
The government, in its reply to Assembly Question No. 4381 raised by Gandhi, stated that there was currently no proposal under consideration to exclude Beina and Doudhi wards from the Mandi Municipal Corporation and bring them back under the Panchayati Raj system. It further stated that, regarding the pending election in Beina Ward, efforts would be made to conduct the election at the earliest in consultation with the State Election Commission.
Gandhi, however, maintained that the government should reconsider the decision rather than proceed against the wishes of the people. He argued that the areas had been brought under the Municipal Corporation by carving them out of Panchayats and that the people should be allowed to have their local governance structure restored if that was what they wanted.
He also questioned the rationale behind keeping the two wards within the Municipal Corporation when, according to him, basic civic facilities had not improved correspondingly. He referred to issues relating to street lights, sewerage and drinking water and said the government should first ensure basic services before imposing an urban local-body structure on the people.
The Balh MLA urged the government to take the public demand seriously and reconsider its stand in the larger interest of the residents of Beina and Doudhi.
