UT went on overdrive to beat election code

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 13

This may have been for the first time in the history of parliamentary elections of Chandigarh that projects worth over Rs 200 crore were approved a week before the announcement of the code of conduct.

For the past two weeks, officials of the Administration and the MC worked extra to push as many tenders as they could before the poll code for the Lok Sabha elections came into force.

Sources said officials approved over 30 tenders since March 1, including major projects such as the Tribune flyover, which will come up at an estimated cost of Rs 186 crore. Another project of shifting the storm water system beneath the Tribune roundabout at a cost of over Rs 24 crore was also approved just a day before the poll code was announced. Tenders for the conservation of heritage in the Capitol Complex worth over Rs 6 crore were also approved before the code was implemented. A tender for the construction of a new community centre at Ram Darbar at a cost of Rs 5 crore was also approved. The MC has also allotted many works in the past one week. From re-carpeting of roads to installing benches  and play equipment, many projects were  approved.

The Horticulture Department allotted eight works worth over Rs 20  lakh in the past one week. 

Work of  over Rs  12  crore for  the  illumination  of dark  spots started  just  a day  before the  announcement  of the  poll code.

The Election Department has  decided to  keep an eye  on all ongoing  works. MC officials were  told  not to  allot  new  works without permission  of the election  office.