MC Commissioner seeks report on paver blocks

CHANDIGARH: After the Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) of all three divisions (Central, East and South), who were assigned the ex officio charge of the Additional Commissioner, MC, were empowered to check the quality of work of the civic body, MC Commissioner Bhawna Garg has sought a report on paver blocks in the city.

Broken paver blocks on the road dividing Sector 27 and Sector 28 in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6

After the Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) of all three divisions (Central, East and South), who were assigned the ex officio charge of the Additional Commissioner, MC, were empowered to check the quality of work of the civic body, MC Commissioner Bhawna Garg has sought a report on paver blocks in the city.

After receiving a number of complaints regarding the laying of paver blocks and their quality, the MC Commissioner has directed the MC Engineering Department to submit a report on paver blocks laid in the past two years. The officials concerned will also have to submit a photograph of the area where the paver blocks were laid. Chandigarh Tribune had highlighted how the MC was continuously laying paver blocks in the city in the absence of a policy on the issue. Paver blocks were laid at various places in the city, but the MC and the UT have failed to maintain these properly.

There is little coordination between various departments of the MC and the UT. The Electricity and the Public Health departments of the MC and the UT had dug various areas and removed paver blocks, but never bothered to put these back in their place after finishing their work.

Mayor Poonam Sharma had formed a committee of councillors and MC officials to frame a policy on the laying of paver blocks in the city, but it is nowhere in sight.

The committee was formed under the chairmanship of nominated councillor Surinder Bahga and comprised councillors Mukesh Bassi, Subhash Chawla, Arun Sood and Satinder Singh as members. Among officials, Chief Engineer Mukesh Anand and Superintending Engineer (Building and Roads) NP Sharma were also part of the committee.

The Municipal Corporation has already spent nearly Rs 40 crore on laying paver blocks in different parts of the city during its current tenure since 2011.