Civic polls: Minister, officers lock horns

Chandigarh : The delay in releasing funds for development projects, especially in election-bound civic bodies, is resulting in tension between Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and the bureaucracy. The minister is reportedly keen on getting early grants for completion of works in the four Municipal Corporations and 34 municipalities. Official circles were on Wednesday abuzz with talks of Sidhu taking up the matter in strong words with Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and the Finance Department. Senior officials in the CMO reportedly intervened to defuse the tension. Sidhu, however, denied any such development. The Chief Minister is slated to visit Jalandhar to announce development plans for the MC.