A massive uproar erupted between BJP and Congress councilors during the Municipal Corporation’s board meeting. Consequently, out of 82 proposed resolutions, discussions could be held on the proposals of only nine councilors. Subsequently, at 5:00 PM, the board meeting was adjourned until Thursday. During the session, the House unanimously passed several proposals, including fixing a maximum financial assistance of ₹5,100 for members of the transgender community, ensuring the equitable deployment of “Environment Friends” (sanitation workers) across all wards, and increasing their daily honorarium by ₹300.
As the meeting, presided over by Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal, commenced, all Congress councilors—led by Councilor Komal Vohra—advanced to the area directly in front of the Mayor and Municipal Commissioner’s dais. Strongly protesting the removal of posters from a Congress rally held a few days prior, the councilors demanded an explanation and declared that they would not allow the House to proceed until a satisfactory response was provided. The BJP councilors objected to the commotion created by their Congress counterparts; amidst this exchange, a heated verbal altercation ensued between councilors from both parties.
When BJP MLA Brijbhushan Gairola attempted to mediate the situation, he, too, became embroiled in an argument with the Congress members. Eventually, other councilors managed to intervene and somehow defuse the situation. At the insistence of the councilors, the proceedings began with a discussion on the proposals submitted by the elected representatives. MLA Brijbhushan Gairola proposed that a specific square or road be named in honor of the martyr Captain Dhaniram. Following this, the discussion on the proposals submitted by Councilor Dinesh Kemwal (Ward-63), Councilor Amita Singh (Ward-36), Councilor Ravindra Gusain (Ward-95), Councilor Vishal Kumar (Ward-24), Councilor Renu Devi (Ward-42), Councilor Komal Vohra (Ward-13), and Councilor Bhupendra Kathait (Ward-12) continued until 5:00 PM. At that point, the board meeting was adjourned. ‘Paryavaran Mitras’ to be Deployed Equally Across Wards
Councilor Abhishek Pant, along with several other councilors, raised a demand highlighting that within the Doon Municipal Corporation, there are wards where as many as 40 sanitation workers are deployed, while others have fewer than 10. Consequently, they proposed that the currently deployed force of 2,385 ‘Paryavaran Mitras’ (Environment Friends) be distributed equally across all wards. This issue was debated at length. Subsequently, the Mayor passed the proposal unanimously. Chief Municipal Health Officer Dr. Avinash Khanna stated that a list of sanitation workers deployed in each councilor’s respective ward would be provided to all councilors by May 26, and this order would come into effect starting June 1.
Proposal Passed to Cap ‘Badhai’ (Gratuity) for Transgender Community at ₹5,100
During the Board meeting, councilors also discussed a proposal to set a maximum limit on the ‘Badhai’ (gratuity/offering) requested by members of the transgender community. During this discussion, Councilor Amita Singh emphasized that such a measure is essential in the public interest. All councilors presented their respective views on the matter. Subsequently, the proposal was passed unanimously. Under this new regulation, members of the transgender community within the jurisdiction of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation will no longer be permitted to demand a ‘Badhai’ exceeding ₹5,100. In this regard, the Municipal Corporation will undertake a public awareness campaign across Dehradun and will also issue a formal letter to the police and administrative authorities.
“Our ‘Paryavaran Mitras’ are responsible for cleaning up the entire city’s waste.” The House tabled a proposal demanding a daily wage of ₹800 for these workers, which was subsequently passed. Additionally, a proposal to fix the maximum limit for ‘Badhai’ at ₹5,100 was also presented and approved by the House
