A joint front of Opposition municipal councillors from Ghaziabad has threatened to go on agitation outside their corporation office on March 6 if board meeting is not convened before that.

The councillors from Congress, BSP and SP shared a common platform to vent their anger and concern against newly elected Mayor Asha Sharma from the BJP.

Zakir Ali Saifi, Anand Chaudhary and Mohd Kallan, in a joint Press conference, said the mayor has not initiated any action against corruption contrary to her promise during election campaign.  They also alleged that she illegally announced to allocate Rs50 lakh in each ward which was beyond her powers without the approval of board meeting. 

The councillors alleged that during her tenure all the streetlights have been replaced by lED lights which are of very poor quality.  

“The sanitation work in wards is in miserable conditions since all the sanitation workers have been deployed on major roads.  The sanitation staff are unhappy with their wages, which have not been revised since long.  They are feeling cheated by false promises,” said a councillor. 

They alleged that no enquiry has been initiated to expose the corrupt activities during previous Government although Mayor promised same in her election campaign.

“The pole and parking mafias are active in the city and extorting money from innocent people and cheating revenue of the municipal body.  The water hand pumps lying defective and parole are forced to buy water bottles.  The works in wards represented by Oppostition are being ignored and public is facing apathy and officers are minting money.  The posts of several officers are lying vacant and new posting is not being sanctioned so work is hampering in the area,” they said.

Meanwhile, the Mayor said no Board meeting could be convened as a survey team for smart city race is camping in the city till February, 28 and all the officers and councilors are engaged in their respective wards and area.  “After March 6 onwards, a meeting would be convened since Holi festival is lying before March 6,” he added.

“Regarding announcement of Rs50 lakh for each ward, I asked them to submit estimates so that in the very next board meeting the fund could be transferred to their wards immediately without consuming any time. But they are playing politics over adopting a short cut method,” she added.