MC poll should ensure it’s not old whine in new bottle

The performance of the outgoing Municipal Corporation Chandigarh was not quite satisfactory. The City Beautiful is headed to become a Smart City, But the main problem of dirt and garbage, thrown on the streets, continues to humiliate the citizens. The MC has failed to collect and dispose of household garbage despite the bragging by the councillors. We are paying Rs 80 per month to private sweepers for the disposal of our household garbage when it is the duty of the MC to do so for free. It is a matter of shame. Moreover, the problem of stray cattle and stray dogs continue to threaten vehicles and two-wheeler drivers on roads, risking their lives. Even public parks are not spared where children, women and men, young and old, visit daily. The new MC must take these two issues very seriously and spare residents the trouble of facing private collection parties.

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

---

Adhere to poll code

The elections to the Municipal Corporation are to be held soon in Chandigarh. The last five years of the MC were satisfactory, though various lapses were noticed during the period. The new MC team must be geared up to keep the city clean as planned and free from traffic chaos. The heritage status of the city monuments like Capitol Complex and the upkeep of other important buildings will require their attention. The traffic congestion on roads needs immediate solution like the one taken for a flyover at Tribune chowk. Parking of vehicles is another sore issue which the new MC has to sort out at the earliest. The MC also needs to keep the city free from pollution from the GHG, polythene and other solid waste. Supply of water is another requirement which the MC needs to take care of for the increasing population in the city. Last but not the least, the parties must adhere to the election code of conduct during the campaigning and fight polls without defacement of public property, liquor and money.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd), Mohali

---

Contestants should list priorities

The time has come to elect and induct the new councillors in the Municipal Corporation. The contestants should list their priorities for the development of the smart city. The city needs clean public toilets in parks and markets. The drainage system needs improvement during the monsoon, the carpeting of roads should be undertaken only during the night, and the upkeep of government hospitals and dispensaries should be ensured. Steps should be taken to check the dengue menace. Trees which obstruct traffic signals should be pruned.

Nikita Kapur, Chandigarh

---

Keep voters informed about development work

Municipal Corporation elections are round the corner. Councillors in the fray should make their targets public. Vendors are to be allotted sites, the traffic chaos needs to be streamlined, supply of water needs to be improved, solar street lights should be introduced and stray dog menace needs attention. On the revenue front, the priority should be to auction the parking lots to augment the development work. Every councillor must apprise the voters about the development work once in three months.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

---

No promise which can’t be fulfilled

The candidates should only make promises which can be fulfilled. The voters should not be promised the moon. During the election days, ‘jumleybazi’ should be avoided by all parties to maintain peace. Despite the performance of the last House – nothing praiseworthy has been achieved. Without going through individually, it may be pointed out that the works started were not completed satisfactorily. They failed to convince the Centre on the issue of Metro rail which can be implemented without disturbing the topography of City Beautiful.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

---

Councillors should submit quarterly reports

It has been observed in the past that after electing the councillor, they do not mix with the residents except for a few approached by the residents with their suggestions and complaints. The main problems of each area are cleanliness, lighting, sewerage and water. I would suggest that telephone numbers of each department must be advertised in newspapers and in case of non-compliance, the official concerned should be penalised. It has also been observed that official telephones are either out of order or the officials do not attend to them. More important point is that elected representative must submit their report regarding the performance of their area quarterly. It has also been observed that some officials do not care to attend complaints of the residents seriously. As a result, they have to run from pillar to post.

Tarlok Singh, Manimajra

---

Don’t make promises that are not practical

Barely a few days are left for the MC poll. The polls are usually fought on the basis of local issues. But things have changed. There is a growing feeling that representatives are not bothered about local issues. Political goals are more important for them. There may be some exceptions but in most cases, the people’s representatives are cut off from reality and fail to address people issues, remaining busy with their internal fights. They always try to brush aside the concern of residents. Some of them have a non-cooperative attitude. Councillors should not make promises which are not practical. They should keep their faith in public as the people of the city are looking for a positive change.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

---

Voters should have the right to reject option

The councillors have failed on all fronts and past experience depicts that they are only power hungry. In the coming elections, candidates either change their wards or make their spouses contest the elections. It means tickets are not being given to the deserving candidates. Rather, persons who have a say in the party are being given tickets. They are destroying the basic structure of Le Corbusier's Chandigarh. The voters should choose the "right to reject" option to make the parties learn a lesson so that the power hungry candidates do not dare to come forward to contest.

Mashwinder Singh

---

Elect educated persons as councillors

The present dispensation in the Municipal Corporation has not been able to do much in fulfilling the aspirations of the people on the development front mostly because the final powers are vested in the hands of the bureaucracy and not with the Mayor. The Municipal Commissioner, as the senior bureaucrat , is not answerable to the electorate, and does not often appreciate the priority and urgency of a work on the ground. Many of the councillors who are semi-literate and answerable to the electorate, do not have enough clue to push things at a faster pace. The remedy therefore lies in electing educated persons as councillors, so that the Mayor, finally elected out of these councillors, is a person who can hold on his own in front of an IAS commissioner. Gone are the days when a matriculate Mayor could deliver, but not anymore.

SC Luthra, Manimajra

---

Everyone should play their democratic role

As per reports, the role of the rivals remained not very encouraging throughout their tenure. Instead of stressing upon greater achievements, time was wasted only to show their superiority over each other. Thus, many projects could not mature. Uncivilised, spontaneous behavior, resorting to throws and blows, was a shameful act on the part of the elected representatives. Now it is up to the citizens to choose again the existing members or to change them for better ones. But it is obvious that everyone has to play their democratic duty, hoping for the best in the next term.

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

---

Parties come and go, problems remain

The last tenure of the MC Chandigarh was a failure, time was wasted and the decorum of the House tarnished due to unparliamentary behaviour. Timely action was not taken to check diseases like dengue/chikungunya which snuffed out many lives. But their agenda of study tours remained in the forefront. Also, with the disclosure of the date of implementing the code of conduct, the political party in power took full advantage towards the fag end, to lay foundation stones of new projects, to inaugurate half completed works without associating the local councillor, thus spending money on unproductive works to appease the voters and create a vote bank. The party in power will also take credit for the recent demonetisation of currency. Though its aim is good, the implementation part is a failure, putting every citizen of the country to unnecessary harassment in one or the other way. Ever since the inception of the MC, no party has provided a viable solution to the residents for their problems. Their agenda in the coming election, therefore, would remain the same: criticism and mudslinging.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh

---

Form a grievance redressal cell

As the MC elections are round the corner, residents should vote intelligently and honestly without being driven by any caste or religious consideration. Because finally, it is only the work done by the candidates elected that convinces the electorate to vote for him. Sanitary conditions in the city should be improved. A grievance redressal cell should be formed and the problems should be resolved on a regular basis. Water and electricity woes should be dealt with seriousness during the summers. Proper drainage and road maintenance tasks should be taken up prior to the monsoon to avoid inconvenience to the general public.

Rashi Srivastava, Chandigarh

---

Councillors should take quick decisions

The Municipal Corporation has failed to generate revenue and manage car parking in the city. Councillors should be transparent, accountable, responsive and upright and should object to wrongdoing. They should take quick decisions for the efficient functioning of the Municipal Corporation. They should have vision and the political will to generate revenue for the development of the city. They should streamline car parking on priority basis and improve the quality of work in various projects, leaving no scope for corruption.

Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh

---

Assure permanent resolution to problems

Among the issues which have not been taken seriously for resolution by the Municipal Corporation during the current term are proper maintenance of parking lots and encroachment of public properties. Though both the issues came to the notice of the corporation on many occasions, the authorities failed every time to resolve these for good. Therefore, these issues remain pending. I am sure that candidates will again make promises during the election campaign of permanently resolving all pending issues.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

---

Give verdict in favour of one party

The outgoing Municipal Corporation has left the citizens disappointed for not deciding on time on issues like parking contractor in various markets, multistoried parking at shopping centres and issue related to traffic chaos resulting in loss of crores besides causing inconvenience to the public. The political parties need to address the problem of garbage disposal, devise action plan for industry, chalk out a mission for City Beautiful, banquet hall and more multistoried parking, planning of overbridges and underpass to control traffic chaos and commit to the voters an immediate solution of need-based difficulties after the new civic body is elected. The term of the Mayor must be extended to more than a year so that development projects can be completed in the city. The citizens should also give a verdict in favour of a single party for the smooth running of the House and facilitate an immediate decision on the pending projects.

Sukhpal Singh