Chandigarh: The Local Government Department of Punjab has terminated the membership of Municipal Corporation Mohali Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu as a councillor. Orders in this regard have been issued by the Principal Secretary, Local Government Department on the last working day of the year.
The order issued by the Principal Secretary, Local Government Department, said that mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu has violated sections 63 and 36 of the Municipal Act, 1976, due to which action has been taken against him and the membership of Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu as councillor is terminated. These orders have come into force with immediate effect.
It may be recalled here that Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu is currently on a private visit after taking leave from the department and the decision has been pronounced in his absence. It may be recalled that some sitting and former members of Mohali had complained to the Secretary, Local Government Department, against Mayor Jeeti Sidhu for misusing his official position to allot tenders worth several crores of rupees for development works of the corporation to a labour contractor society named Amritpreet Co-operative Society (of which the Mayor himself is also a member).
In this case, the local government had earlier issued a notice to the mayor seeking a reply and on December 20, the mayor was also called for a personal hearing with the minister of the department and now the decision in the matter is yet to come.
Meanwhile, the Mayor Sidhu will now challenge these orders of the government in the court and will seek a stay on these orders, sources close to him said.
According to the information received, the mayor had prepared his case in consultation with his lawyers even before leaving for abroad and the mayor’s lawyers may soon file a case against the government’s orders in the court.