A first, private firms to maintain public parks in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, November 28

For the first time in the city, public parks have been allowed to be maintained by private companies on the lines of various rotaries.

The Municipal Corporation will invite agencies to maintain those parks, which have not been allocated to Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), free of cost in lieu of displaying advertisements there. The companies will be allowed to put up their advertisements at specified places in parks. However, permission regarding allowing these ads in the parks is yet to be taken from the UT Administration.

Besides, as a pilot project, interests will be invited from companies to maintain parks at rates to be decided by the MC. However, under this scheme, the companies will not be allowed to put up their ads in parks. The project, which is expected to start from Sector 15, will be replicated in other sectors too, provided the companies develop parks better than RWAs or the MC.

These provisions were approved by the MC today after a reply to questions of BJP councillors Saurabh Joshi regarding park maintenance was tabled before the House.

As the House took up the reply to his queries, Joshi said eight or nine RWAs alone were getting a whopping Rs 22 lakh a month, while the remaining 76 associations were receiving a total of Rs 15 lakh a month on account of park maintenance. A total of Rs 38.96 lakh is released to the RWAs per month for maintaining 809 parks, out of a total 1,800 parks in the city. Some of these RWAs were getting nearly Rs 2 or Rs 3 lakh each per month.

Questioning a huge fund going to a few RWAs, who are managing a large number of parks, the BJP councillor pointed out an area junior engineer, who was made ex-officio member of RWAs, was tasked with inspection of the parks, but not the Executive Engineer, as mentioned in the MoU signed between the MC and the RWAs. He advocated for allocating parks to agencies for maintenance in lieu of putting up their ads as is the practice with chowks.

Replying to him, MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “We had proposed to limit the number of parks being maintained by the RWAs for a better maintenance, but the House rejected the agenda. We pay them after deducting the charges for jobs that they are not doing as per the MoU. The MC carries out such jobs as clearing bins and transporting the waste.”

The MC chief said she was of the view that since the RWAs were being paid a total of Rs 4 to 4.50 crore per year, there should be an audit. “I will give directions to the officers to audit RWAs in this regard. Besides, without informing RWAs, an inter-departmental physical checking should be there,” she added.

Nod for Ram temple celebrations

Amid a divided support by Opposition councillors, the BJP-ruled MC got approved the agenda regarding celebrations of Ram Mandir inauguration to be held in January in Ayodhya. The BJP councillors presented the agenda, which was opposed by AAP and the Congress councillors, who wanted it to be deferred. Congress councillors Gupreet Singh Gabi and Sachin Galav alleged the BJP was going to use the name of Lord Ram for its political gains in 2024.

Later, voting was done and the agenda was supported by all BJP councillors and a few Opposition ones amid chating of “Jai Shri Ram”.

No nod given to develop golf area in park: MC

House today rejected the agenda of allowing the setting up of a golf green area-themed park in Sector 4 by the local RWA.

The MC also denied again signing an MoU for maintenance with the said RWA. The MoU was earlier terminated for violation of carving out the golf practice area.

Pilot project in the offing

• As a pilot project, interests will be invited from companies to maintain parks at rates to be decided by the MC. However, under this scheme, the companies will not be allowed to put up their ads in parks. The project, which is expected to start from Sector 15, will be replicated in other sectors too, provided the companies develop parks better than RWAs or the MC.

Most councillors ‘uninterested’

• Most councillors seemed uninterested in these proposed reforms. Several RWA members, who owe allegiance to various political parties, have allegedly taken control of parks. Some of them unsuccessfully contested councillors’ elections.

Rs 38.96 lakh released to RWAs per month

• Rs 38.96 lakh is released to RWAs per month for maintaining 809 parks, out of a total 1,800 parks. Some of these RWAs are getting nearly Rs 2 or Rs 3 lakh each per month.