The nagar palika of Shahjahanpur, where temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius and above are routine in summer months, is preparing for ice age.Or so it seems.

Key Highlights Shahjahanpur civic body has bought a snow removal machine in a city where mercury touches 45 degrees Celsius

Authorities said they must beprepared to tackle all situations and refused to share a reason for the purchase

The civic body is already facing corruption charges

SHAHJAHANPUR: The nagar palika of Shahjahanpur, where temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius and above are routine in summer months, is preparing for ice age. Or so it seems.

In a bizarre acquisition, officials bought a costly snow removal machine, which is now parked in one of its godowns. It's a matter of coincidence that the civic body is facing corruption charges. A nagar palika source told TOI on Wednesday that the machine in question is a JCB 170 snowplough used for clearing layers of snow and ice from roads. Normally, such machines are used in mountainous areas to clear roads after snowfall. It's a common sight, for instance, in countries such as Canada. Though municipal authorities refused to share specifications of the machine or its price, on the internet, a snowplough doesn't come for less than $25,000-35,000 (Rs 17-23 lakh).

Asked to justify the purchase, nagar palika executive engineer Munendra Rathore said with a straight face that authorities should be prepared to tackle all situations.

"We don't find it necessary to give out a reason for every purchase," he said. "We found this machine quite important for our city and we bought it. If someone has any problem, he can speak with the chairman because the demand came from him."

TOI's repeated calls to chairman Tanveer Khan went unanswered. District magistrate Pushpa Singh said, "I was not aware that such a machine has been purchased by the nagar palika. I will look into this and seek the reason for purchasing it."

The nagar palika is already facing a slew of corruption charges, including a case that involves a missing property register maintained by the municipality. The matter came to light after former DM Vijay Kiran Anand raided the nagar palika office and sought a host of clarifications from its officials. When the DM was transferred within 48 days of joining his office in the district, it led to huge protests from residents of the city.

