Ludhiana: In one of the most expensive 11-minute meals in Punjab’s history, the mayor declared the city budget “passed” before the snacks even reached the back of the hall, while the opposition was left with a bitter taste in mouth and a full plate of questions.The municipal corporation spent more time on the national anthem and tea service than it did debating a ₹1,258.8-crore development plan. With a “table agenda” passed in total silence and the party in office fleeing the hall while its own members were still stuck in traffic, the opposition has hit out at a “drive-through” democracy that prioritises speed over substance.The Tuesday meeting at Guru Nanak Bhawan, intended to outline the city’s development for financial year 2026-27, saw only three minutes of actual discussion before mayor Inderjit Kaur declared the agenda approved, sparking a political firestorm that left opposition councillors to brand the proceedings a “mockery of democracy”. The session ended so abruptly that many ruling party members had not yet arrived, while others were left holding unconsumed snacks.BJP councillor Ruchi Gulati noted the waste of public funds, stating that the meeting ended so quickly that the tea and snacks served to members remained untouched. “I couldn’t even eat the samosa I was served before the meeting was over,” she said.Rapid-Fire ApprovalThe session commenced with the national anthem, followed by a two-minute silence for the late former councillor Jasbir Singh Jassa. Immediately after secretary Vivek Verma read the first page of the agenda, the mayor declared the budget passed. Attempts by members of the opposition to initiate debate were ignored as the mayor, MC commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta, and several MLAs exited the hall.Claims of Lack of QuorumCouncillors from the BJP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal staged a joint protest, alleging the governing party lacked the majority required to pass the budget at the time of the vote. “They are afraid of clarifying things going on in the House,” said Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti. “If they were going to use this technique, they should have just approved it from home.”In a departure from tradition, seating arrangements were reportedly altered to mix governing and opposition members, which critics claim was a tactic to obscure the governing party’s low attendance. One of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors, Prabhpreet Kaur, arrived at 11.30am — nearly 15 minutes after the budget had already been authorised.Unprecedented ProceduresFor the first time in the corporation’s history, a “table agenda” was passed during a budget meeting without copies being provided to the House. While MC officials stated the MC Act does not explicitly ban the practice, they acknowledged it was without precedent. Mayor Inderjit Kaur defended the brevity of the meeting, citing a lengthy all-party briefing held on Monday. “We spent at least 2.5 hours in detailed discussion yesterday,” she said. “Whether you give the opposition 10 minutes or five hours, it always ends in chaos.”MSID:: 129776767 413 |
