Amenities amiss at his ward, Kalia loved lavish lifestyle at govt cost

Soon after a phone demand, Kalia had demanded furniture items and other goods worth Rs 6 lakh for his official residence in Sector 24.

If BJP councillor Rajesh Kalia’s five-year term is remembered, it will be for his fancy desires to seek an iPhone or lavish furniture but not for any development work that he did in his ward.

Kalia had represented ward no. 7 that comprises Maloya, EWS Colony, Maloya, West of Sector 39 and Grain Market.

From seeking pavers on an already neatly layered paver street worth Rs 5 crore to seeking microwave and furniture for the official residence, Kalia was mired in controversies, when he was the mayor in 2019.

Just a week after he was elected in 2019, Kalia courted a controversy when he told officials to buy him the latest iPhone X worth Rs 91,900. It was to be bought with public money.

A mayor is entitled to have a mobile phone of unlimited cost. However, some councillors had set an example by not purchasing any expensive phone from civic funds.

Kalia had a long wish list of furniture items as well. Soon after the phone demand, he had demanded furniture items and other goods worth Rs 6 lakh for his official residence in Sector 24.

The mayor had asked for a microwave, an outdoor swing, a double bed with box, a power inverter, two sofa sets, glass table, kitchen utensils and a crockery set.

Corporation officials had said that only that would be allowed which was his entitlement.

Since he represented Dalits, the waste collectors were hopeful of getting their demands fulfilled after he was elected. But things went awry.

In July 2019, the garbage collectors who once felt empowered when Kalia was elected went against him after the mayor was accused of “misbehaving”with the president of the Safai Karamacharis’ Union. Kalia had a spat with Safai Karamchari Union’s president Krishan Chadha, in which the two allegedly exchanged blows. Kalia was in the

middle of a meeting with health wing under MC and medical officers, when Chadha barged into the meeting with other sanitation workers and asked why they were not part of the meeting. In the process, both entered into an argument and allegedly abused each other and exchanged blows.

Not just this, days after Kalia was elected mayor, a Junior Engineer of sub-division 13 had given a written complaint that he was being pressured by his executive engineer and Kalia to work at his private residence.

However, Kalia had denied the allegations stating that the JE was doing it to avoid his transfer as he had asked the officials to shift him because of his non-performance. Kalia himself had said that he was in favour of a thorough investigation and he had never asked anyone to work at his private residence.

However, there were certain instances when Kalia got a thumbs-up as well.

Kalia received accolades for getting sweepers and other workers removed from personal residences of several bureaucrats and politicians.

One thing which the then MC Commissioner K K Yadav couldn’t do alone was getting back the sweepers and sanitation workers who were working at the residences of several bureaucrats and politicians. It was all with the support of the then Mayor Kalia that this could have been possible.

But Kalia’s ward remained neglected — when he was the mayor and even when he was not and was just a councillor. Residents of his ward stated that there was nothing that he did for his ward — which otherwise is in dire need of basic amenities.

Ravi Kumar, a resident of Madrasi Colony at Maloya, said that there is a big mess of electricity lines which run dangerously through most of the houses but nothing was done all these years leaving people to their own fate.

“In Maloya colony, there are around 3,000 households, who are living in very unsafe conditions. There is a big mess of electric power supply lines running dangerously next to most of the houses, resulting in accidents from time to time,” Ravi Kumar said.

He added, “Though a tender was awarded to reroute power lines underground and some work was also started during the last term of MC, no work progressed during the tenure of present councillor. Many parks in the Madrasi colony are still without lights and many parks get erratic light. Road carpeting has been still pending for long.”

Dilawar Singh, president of Mohalla Committee from Maloya, stated that Maloya doesn’t even look like it is part of Chandigarh. He stated that it rather looks that it is some colony outside Chandigarh.

“Maloya is full of scores of mini-garbage dumps. The local councillor didn’t take pain to get these dumps cleared. If someone visits our area, he will feel it’s not part of Chandigarh with many garbage vulnerable spots. Nothing has been done to solve parking problem being faced by the residents,” Dilawar Singh stated.

He added, “Not just this, even the government secondary school at Maloya village has been recently downgraded to elementary level without consultation with local residents. Our children have to travel to far-off places now. Also, there seems to be a nexus between Municipal Corporation and the contractors as old removed paver blocks are used as new ones at odd places.”

RAJESH KALIA LISTS HIS ACHIEVEMENTS

When contacted, councillor Rajesh Kalia said that he got those works done which had not been done for the last 15 years in his ward.

“In Gwala Colony, there had been no work that was done for the last 15 years. And it was me who got new sewer lines, water pipelines laid and over that the tiles. The work of sewer and waterlines has been done and that of tiles is going on. Also, I got the renovation of cremation ground done,” Kalia stated. He added, “Apart from all this, I got a green belt in seven acres. Also, people in the Maloya colony were suffering as the dirty water from the nallah of Patiala ki Rao used to pollute their houses. That has been rectified. Then the work of having electricity wires underground is underway and will be inaugurated soon. Also, we got a sampark centre, hospital in the ward. A green belt in Madrasi colony too.”

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