Kanpur: Mayor Pramila Pandey and members of the Kanpur Municipal Corporation’s working committee on Friday once again accused municipal commissioner Arpit Upadhyay of taking arbitrary decisions without consulting the elected representatives.Differences surfaced during a discussion on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for operation and management of the convention centre. Objecting to the MoU, the mayor announced its cancellation, alleging that the commissioner had taken crucial tender-related decisions without informing the House or the executive committee. The municipal commissioner opposed the move.Corporators also raised questions over the proposed privatisation of the city’s sanitation system, dissolution of the Mangal Bhawan Committee and changes in tender rules. The Mangal Bhawan issue was earlier also raised during Friday’s meeting.Later, the mayor said that all major decisions should be taken after consulting the working committee and KMC House.On the tender issue, corporators said the House had stipulated that tenders quoting rates below 15% of the estimated cost would be cancelled and in case of a tie, the winner would be selected through a lottery. However, the members alleged that the commissioner had permitted contractors to submit tenders below the prescribed limit by citing Public Works Department (PWD) rules.
