15 years on, Chandigarh MC yet to earn revenue from ‘dhobi ghats’

Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 20

The cash-starved Municipal Corporation (MC), which failed to get any revenue from its ‘dhobi ghat’, barring one, for about 15 years, has finally moved ahead to conduct their open auction or e-tendering.

A reserve price will be fixed and the MC will be able to earn monthly rent from these ‘ghats’. A committee constituted to generate revenue from ‘dhobi ghats’ today approved it in a meeting. The proposal will now be tabled in the MC General House meeting for approval.

The ‘dhobi ghats’ were transferred to the civic body from the UT Administration 2005 or 2006, but since then the corporation failed to earn rent from ‘ghats’, which are presently run by private societies. Till the time, ‘ghats’ were with the Administration, societies paid monthly fee.

At present, the MC gets monthly rent of Rs13,000 only from the Sector 15 ‘dhobi ghat’. Shockingly, all these years officials as well as councillors kept sleeping over the matter.

Members of the committee today also resolved that rates should be fixed for washing different types of clothes, so that public is not harassed.

“Members have suggested that ‘dhobi ghats’ in sectors should be provided modern facilities and latest technologies. Along with this, we are looking at offering them through open auction or e-tendering subject to MC House approval,” said committee chairman and BJP councillor Shakti Parkash Devshali.

Ajay Kanojia, president, Dhobi Mahasabha (regd), said, “Due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, there is no work as hotels, hostels and PGs are closed. Auction should be delayed. We do not mind paying rent and are not against modernisation, but existing societies be allowed to continue their work at ‘dhobi ghats’.”

He blamed the corporation for not accepting rent. “Sector 32 society offered Rs20,000 draft to the MC, but they refuse to take it,” he added. As per Kanojia, there are eight ‘dhobi ghats’. One each in Sectors 19, 20, 27, 22, 32, 7 and two in Sector 15. However, the MC counts the Sector 15 ‘ghats’ as one.

Leader of the Opposition in the MC, Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla, said, “It is negligence on part of the MC. At some places, the civic boday has renovated ghats, but failed to get rent. They talk tall, but fail in implementation.”

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