MCC Meeting in Uproar Over Alleged Rs 116-Crore Smart City Fund

Mohali : The general house meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MCC) on today witnessed a heated uproar over an alleged Rs 116-crore scam involving Smart City funds. Opposition councillors presented documents highlighting irregularities, while Congress members staged a protest with posters to voice their concerns.
The controversy escalated when Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh raised issues regarding the ongoing demolition drive in Sector 45, alleging bias as encroachments in wealthy homes were reportedly ignored. Singh also claimed that garbage from other sectors was being dumped in Sector 45. Mayor Saurabh Joshi responded that all parties were in agreement on addressing the concerns. During the session, former Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla briefly congratulated the Prime Minister on the impending Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, amid the ongoing uproar.
MCC officers revealed that following the exposure of a similar scam in Haryana, the commissioner had requested a police investigation into potential involvement of Smart City and IDFC Bank officials. Reports indicate that 11 fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) worth Rs 116 crore were created between March 28 and April 6, 2025, for a one-year tenure.
Upon inquiry, IDFC First Bank in Sector 32, Chandigarh, informed MCC officials that the FDRs provided by Anubhav Mishra, an outsourced accountant responsible for the documents, did not appear in the bank’s system and were declared fake. The bank also reported that over Rs 8 crore had been transferred to three companies. The incident has raised serious questions over accountability in Chandigarh’s Smart City projects, prompting calls for thorough investigation and action against those involved. Opposition councillors demanded transparency and immediate probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds.
The matter continues to dominate discussions in the MCC as authorities work to verify the authenticity of the transactions and ensure financial safeguards are strengthened to prevent similar scams in future.