Chandigarh, March 8 — Chandigarh Congress leaders, led by city unit president HS Lucky, staged a protest outside the municipal corporation (MC) on Friday, demanding funds from the central government and the Chandigarh administration.
Holding begging bowls, they accused the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the city of pushing the MC into financial ruin.
Lucky took aim at the Modi government and local administration, stating that despite a “triple-engine government”—with the BJP controlling the Centre, the UT administration, and the mayor’s office—the corporation remained cash-strapped. “The Centre owes ₹1,704 crore under the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission’s revenue-sharing formula and another ₹743 crore under the Third Finance Commission’s recommendations,” he alleged.
He further claimed that the Chandigarh administration had failed to allocate the annual dedicated funds and had not cleared dues from various departments. “Municipal employees are unpaid, potholes remain unrepaired, and even basic construction materials like cement are unavailable. Contractors have abandoned projects midway due to non-payment,” he said.
Recalling BJP’s pre-election assurances, Lucky remarked, “They promised unlimited funds if they secured the mayor’s post, yet here we are, forced to beg for financial assistance.”
At the protest’s conclusion, the collected donations were symbolically handed over to the mayor. Senior deputy mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty, deputy mayor Taruna Mehta, several Congress councillors, and other party leaders participated in the demonstration.
