Open-air gym equipment, slides rusting away in Chandigarh green belts

Gurpreet Singh Gabi, Congress councillor from Ward 34, has exposed the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s claims over regular maintenance of open-air gym and children play equipment in parks of Sectors 45 and 46.

Gabi had asked the MC to provide information when the last time open-air gym and children play equipment were painted and repaired in these parks.

Gabi said he was shocked by the reply that the painting of children’s play equipment, huts, railing and benches in various parks and Sector 45 green belt was done on April 13, 2023. He added that the ground reality is quite different.

The Congress councillor claimed that the paint and repair work has been carried on paper only. In reality, no such work has been done, he added.

The reply to Gabi’s questions has been given in agenda to be placed before the general house meeting of the Municipal Corporation to be held on June 30.

Gabi said tenders to the tune of lakhs were allotted for the repair and painting job, but they never knew when the equipment was painted.

Gabi said councillor is not involved in giving the completion certificates. He said that he had also sought to know who issued the completion certificate of the work and who released the payment?

He said in the reply the department claimed that the completion certificates to the agencies had not been issued yet. However, in case the contractor demanded the completion certificate, the same is issued after verification of necessary requirements.

Further, the SDE (Horticulture) concerned verified the final bill submitted by the contractor and the payment has been released by the Account Branch of MC following the due procedure of audit.

Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman, Federation of Sectors Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC), said after installing the equipment the MC forgot them. In the absence of proper maintenance, open-air gyms and children play equipment rusting away in parks. The rusted equipment is also dangerous for users, including children. In some parks gyms have not been repaired for months, he added.