THE General House meeting of Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) witnessed prolonged uproar on Thursday over a demand for an apology, bringing the proceedings to a stand still and leaving several issues undiscussed. The hullabaloo erupted after Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh asked Leader of Opposition Amrish Mishra to apologise for his earlier statement alleging that the civic body planned to hand over tax col lection and house and building mapping work to private agencies under a pilot project in select wards. Mishra categorically refused to apologise, triggering heated exchanges between the ruling party and the Opposition. The general house meeting commenced at 11 am. At the outset, the House paid tributes to deceased leaders and former corporators.

 

Later, the minutes of previous meetings were approved. Subsequently, 21 proposals were passed unanimously, including resolutions to name various city squares and roads after saints and oth er eminent personalities. The House also took a collective pledge to promote Swadeshi. Proposals related to reforms and reductions in GST, earlier approved by the NDA govern ment, were supported by both sides, though opposition Corporator Ayodhya Tiwari used the occasion to criticise the central government, claiming the changes reflected a shift in its earlier stand. As the meeting progressed, the Mayor accused the Leader of the Opposition of misleading and alarming the public by suggesting that tax collection and building mapping would be outsourced to elements that could resort to coercive practices.

 

The Mayor said no such proposal had ever been approved by the Mayor-in Council or placed before the House. He insisted that Mishra should first clarify his statement and apologise, only after which further discussions could be taken up. Supporting the Mayor’s stand, the ruling par ty members said the House should not proceed with oth er business until the apology was tendered. The Opposition hit back strongly, with Congress Corporators countering the allegations. The situation soon escalated into slogan-shouting from both sides. Despite repeated appeals by Chairman Rikunj Vijay, order could not be restored in the House. The deadlock continued even after the lunch recess, with neither side willing to relent.

 

Clarifying the administration’s position once again, the Mayor said the civic body planned to conduct a survey to identify people who were not paying municipal taxes. Outsourced personnel would only assist Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) revenue officers and staff in enumeration work, he said, adding that there would be no coercion or intimidation. He stressed that outsourced workers undergo police verification and are respectable citizens and accused the opposition of spreading unnecessary con fusion. With the stalemate persisting, Chairperson Vijay finally announced the conclusion of the General House meeting.

 

During the session, Leader of the Opposition Amrish Mishra also raised the issue of large tax defaulters, alleging that despite claims of improved revenue collection, substantial dues remained unpaid by major defaulters, including government offices and institutions. During the meeting, Concluding remarks from the chair noted the active role of Municipal Commissioner Ramprakash Ahirwar, with President Vijay stating that the Commissioner was personally monitoring development works, sanitation drives and anti-encroachment campaigns on the ground, boosting the morale of the field staff. He added that under the Mayor’s leadership, no new taxes had been imposed in the last three years and development works had been expedited, but the disruption in the House prevented these achievements from being highlighted as intended.