Chandigarh:
A public grievance meeting (Janata Darbar) was held at the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Sunday (February 2) to address citizens’ issues. However, Mayor Saurabh Joshi arrived about 35 minutes late, leading to visible displeasure among people who had gathered in large numbers. Despite the delay, many attendees came more to congratulate the newly elected Mayor, carrying bouquets, than to raise complaints.
The Janata Darbar was scheduled from 11 am at the Mayor’s office on the fifth floor of the Municipal Corporation building in Sector 17. Mayor Joshi reached the venue at around 11:35 am. Addressing the gathering with folded hands, he said that since becoming Mayor he had been touring different parts of Chandigarh to understand public issues and had now come directly before the people to listen to their concerns.
During the interaction, an e-rickshaw driver complained that police stop and harass them repeatedly despite having valid documents. A resident from the Mayor’s own ward raised the issue of severe water shortage, alleging that the problem remained unresolved despite repeated complaints. Another citizen claimed that no action was being taken on grievances even after court orders.
It is noteworthy that Saurabh Joshi is the first Mayor of Chandigarh to formally start a Janata Darbar initiative. Earlier, similar public grievance meetings have been held by Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.
Police Harassment Complaint
Jagdish Prasad, an e-rickshaw driver from the Sukhna Lake area, said he earlier operated a cycle rickshaw and later purchased an e-rickshaw by taking a loan. He alleged that police personnel frequently stop and harass e-rickshaw drivers at checkpoints, causing significant hardship, even though all required documents are in order. He approached the Mayor seeking a solution to the issue.
Focus on Transparency in Civic Services
Mayor Saurabh Joshi said he initially wanted to meet people in their neighborhoods to hear their problems but had to organise the Janata Darbar at the office due to protocol requirements. He added that in the future, such public grievance meetings would be held directly among the people.
The Mayor said the objective of the Janata Darbar is to bring transparency to Municipal Corporation services and ensure timely resolution of citizens’ complaints. Residents of the “City Beautiful” can raise issues related to sanitation, roads, water supply, sewerage, street lighting, parking, and other civic matters directly with the Municipal Corporation.
