The municipal corporation on Tuesday approved ₹1,258.80-crore budget for 2026–27 during a brief General House meeting, triggering protests from opposition councillors who alleged that the proposals were cleared without adequate discussion. Mayor Inderjit Kaur, however, maintained that the budget was duly approved and focuses on the city’s development.
The meeting, held at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, began shortly after 11 am and the budget was presented and declared passed within minutes, allege opposition councillors, adding that they stood up to seek clarifications but were not allowed to speak before the House was adjourned. Soon after, councillors from the BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal staged a protest outside the venue, raising slogans against the ruling party and the mayor. They also questioned whether quorum was complete at the time the budget was passed.
Congress councillor Arun Sharma alleged that the ruling side avoided discussion. “If there were answers, they should have faced the House. We came prepared to ask how public money will be spent, but the meeting ended before any discussion,” he said, adding that the process had “misled the public in the name of the budget.”
BJP councillor Ruchi Gulati criticised the manner in which proposals were cleared. “A new trend has started where everything is passed by simply saying ‘passed’. If everything has to be done like this, what is the need to call a House meeting?” she said, raising concerns over expenditure on sanitation, private contractors and machinery.
Councillor Gaurav Bhatia said he had come to discuss development works but did not get the opportunity. “A large share of funds is being allocated to waste management and desilting, leaving limited scope for road development and other civic works,” he said.
Congress leader Inderjit Indi also questioned the revenue projections, stating that excise collections appeared lower despite an increase in liquor vends across the city. He called for a detailed probe into financial planning and fund utilisation.
Senior Congress leader Mamta Ashu raised concerns over financial management and alleged procedural lapses. She questioned the legitimacy of the proceedings, claiming the budget was passed without proper quorum.
Mayor Inderjit Kaur reiterated that the budget had been duly approved and is aimed at the overall development of the city. She said priority has been given to key sectors such as road repair, clean drinking water, sewerage systems and modern civic services.
”The corporation aims to accelerate development works and improve service delivery,” she added.
