Panchkula is set to welcome its new civic leadership on Thursday as newly elected Mayor Sham Lal Bansal, along with 20 councillors, will take the oath of office during a ceremony at the Indradhanush Auditorium. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli are expected to attend the event and extend their support to the newly elected representatives.
Third Mayor of Panchkula Municipal Corporation
Bansal will become the third mayor of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation. Before him, Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia and Kulbhushan Goyal served as mayors. Prior to the formation of the municipal corporation, Panchkula operated under a municipal council system headed by a council president. The first municipal corporation elections in Panchkula were held in 2013.
Bansal's Political Journey
A senior BJP leader and long-time party worker, Bansal has remained actively associated with the organisation for several years. Although he contested Assembly elections three times earlier without success, he registered a massive victory in the recent mayoral polls by defeating his rival with a margin of nearly 37,000 votes.
Priorities and Development Plans
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Bansal stated that his priority would be to resolve public issues and accelerate the development of Panchkula city. He assured residents that every effort would be made to improve civic infrastructure and strengthen municipal services across all sectors and wards of the city.
Bansal also emphasized a focus on removing encroachments and beautifying the city. He shared that the drains running through the city are soon to undergo beautification, and work has already commenced on a plan to transform them into picturesque lakes. This information was shared during an event in Sector 12.
Bansal revealed that he has already held discussions with Chief Minister Saini. The Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Panchkula will jointly undertake the cleaning of the city’s drains. Trees will be planted around the drains, and consultations with officials are currently underway regarding a plan to transform them into attractive lakes using clean water.
