Ranchi: Mayor Asha Lakra has accused a section of councillors of deliberately creating hurdles in the smooth functioning of the civic body besides forcing her to act against Jharkhand Municipal Act, 2011.
This comes two days after 40 councillors of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) criticised Lakra for her autocratic style of functioning.
Lakra, who returned to the state capital from Lucknow on Monday said, "Some councillors had met urban development minister C.P. Singh on Friday to complain against me for not calling a board meeting to discuss civic issues. I had called a board meeting on June 4 to discuss the issue of safai workers following a demand of councillors."
The mayor added that the agenda of the June 4 meeting was taken up again in another board meeting on July 18.
On Saturday, the councillors had threatened to boycott any meeting called by her after she refused to convene a special board meeting to discuss the poor condition of civic amenities and a six months' extension of RMC spokesperson Naresh Sinha who is set to retire on Tuesday.
"During the July 18 meeting, it was decided that the mayor and senior officials of the civic body would decide on additional number of safai workers, the proposal of which would be placed before the next board meeting on August 13," she said.
On Singh's extension, Lakra claimed that councillors did not even know whether he wanted to stay back.
"That kind of demand is illegal under the provisions of the Jharkhand Municipal Act 2011. Can councillors explain under which provision of the Act can the RMC give extension? They should know that one attending retirement age is not entitled to work in a government institution. They are pressurising me to meet their demand by ignoring this fact. If councillors can answer to my queries, I will hold a special board meet-ing within 24 hours," she said.
Soon after Lakra's news meet, councillors came up with a rebuttal.
"Lakra has forgotten that during the board meeting on July 18, she had given extension to three employees. As far as calling a special board meeting is concerned, she should go through the provisions of the municipality act which states that a mayor was bound to call a meeting if a written request is made by 11 councillors," said ward 26 councillor Arun Kumar Jha.
Another councilor said that condition of civic amenities requires immediate attention and she wants to drag the matter till monsoon is over.
Open gym
In another development, Mayor informed that couple of days back she union minister of minority affairs cum Rajya Sabha MP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in Delhi and demanded open gyms in city parks from his MP LAD funds. She said that minister assured full support asking for formal proposals.
