In another instance, Aujla went to Finland to inspect a hydraulic platform-cum-turntable ladder machine. This, when Fire and Emergency Services department had already purchased the machine. Aujla, however, does not support the idea of officers undertaking foreign trips for “flimsy” reasons. He objected to a study tour of municipal councillors and officials to Singapore and Bangkok. The team, however, did undertake the trip.

It’s been a year since the travellers returned from their week-long tour to Singapore and Bangkok but no one knows as to how this trip enriched the experiences of the councillors. No report has been presented in the House till date. on their return, some councillors complained that they were just shown a CD of development works being undertaken in the countries that they were visiting.

The councillors also criticised the recent foreign tour of Joint Municipal Commissioner H S Kandhola, Medical Officer Health Dr G C Bansal and Executive Engineer Mohinder Bikram. The trio had gone to Italy to inspect mechanised road sweeping machines overlooking similar machines in Delhi or Bangalore or even closer home in Ludhiana.