Councillor's plea
Congress councillor Bhupendra Solanki has urged Urban Development Secretary Manjula Subramaniam not to grant permission to Surat Municipal Corporation committees to visit various cities in the country on the ``pretext of study.'' At a time when the SMC was facing a severe resource crunch, at least four committees -- drainage, public works department, water, and light and fire committee -- planned to visit Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune and Goa, Solanki complained in his letter, urging her to refuse permission even if the Standing Committee approves the proposal.