Chandigarh MC approves hike in park maintenance fee to RWAs

Chandigarh, November 29

The MC House today approved to raise the park maintenance fee given to residents’ welfare associations (RWAs). The fee has been increased from Rs2.48 to Rs4.15 per sq m per month. It used to cost the MC Rs2.48 crore per year. It will now pay a total of Rs5.66 crore in a year to the RWAs for the maintenance of parks. The House also approved to give the maintenance of back lanes from Sector 1-30 to the RWAs.

Will now cost MC Rs5.66 crore a year

The fee has been increased from Rs2.48 to Rs4.15 per sq m per month. It used to cost the MC Rs2.48 crore per year. It will now pay a total of Rs5.66 crore in a year to the RWAs for the maintenance of parks.

However, before doing so, a meeting of the RWA concerned, area councillor and officers will be held to decide the norms. Waste and other items can be seem dumped in the back lanes at present.

The House also approved exemption in the licence fee to licensees of taxi stands due to Covid. The fee exemption agenda of parking lots was, however, deferred.

Meanwhile, councillors praised Commissioner Anindita Mitra for her work. However, Congress councillor Satish Kainth alleged that files related to development work in his ward were lying pending at the MC chief’s office.

He alleged that the Commissioner had kept all powers with her, which earlier used to be delegated to other officers, due to which development works had got delayed.

The Commissioner said that was not the case and wanted to know who had stated this. On this, Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla named Executive Engineer (XEN) Dharminder Sharma.

The Commissioner then asked the Chief Engineer to bring details regarding development issues in Kainth’s ward before the House. She also ordered to chargesheet the XEN.

Later in the day, details of the approved development works in Kainth’s ward were presented before the House.

As per the report presented in the House, a rough estimate of the work of a green belt in Sector 56 was approved on April 28, approval came on May 19, a detailed estimate was approved on September 14 and the DNIT was submitted by the XEN (Horticulture) to the SE and is pending in his office since September 24.

Similarly, a request regarding work of desilting of a sewer in Sector 56 was received on February 8. After various processes, it was finally approved by the Commissioner on September 29. Work was allotted to the agency on October 21. — TNS