Latest news with #ChandigarhMunicipalCorporation
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh MC gets more teeth with pet dog bylaws
Looking to tighten the leash on irresponsible pet ownership, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Tuesday approved the final draft of the Pet and Community Dogs Bylaws, 2025, during the House meeting. The new rules will replace the decade-old 2010 bylaws. The final approval rests with the Chandigarh administration and once the bylaws are notified, fines for violations could shoot up by as much as 200 times. The bylaws place clear liability on pet owners for bites or damage to property. They bar pet dogs from high-footfall public green spaces, such as Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Rose Garden and Leisure Valley. However, regular parks will remain accessible to pets — provided owners carry poop bags and clean up after their dogs. Defecation anywhere in public will be prohibited — owners must either clean up after their pets or guide them to isolated spots. Seven ferocious dog breeds will be banned: American Bulldog, American Pitbull/Pitbull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Pakistan Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino and Rottweiler. Residents already owning these banned breeds will be given a 45-day buffer period to register their dogs after notification of bylaws. Failure to comply will lead to penalties and possible impoundment. To ensure public safety, the draft mandates that all dogs be leashed in public and aggressive breeds must be muzzled. Escorts of such breeds must carry a stick, and in case of severe aggression or damage, dogs may be seized and penalties imposed. In a move to prevent public health hazards, owners will no longer be allowed to dispose of deceased pets in garbage bins. Cremation or private burial will be mandatory. The draft also proposes a complete ban on commercial breeding or trading of dogs within city limits. Prepared with input from the MC joint commissioner-1, medical officer of health and other civic officials, the draft aims to strike a balance between animal welfare and public safety. Owner to pay if dog bites, registration must Pet owners must register their dogs with MC. A registration fee of ₹500 per dog will be applicable, and renewal will be required after five years. Adopted stray dogs can be registered for ₹50. Visually impaired individuals who keep a dog for assistance will be exempt from the registration fee. It will be mandatory for registered dogs to wear a metal token and collar. If any unregistered dog is found in a house or roaming on the streets, it will be impounded by MC. A fine will also be imposed on the owner. If a pet dog bites or causes harm, owners will have to compensate the victims, in addition to legal action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or other laws. The owner must keep the dog under control at all times. While outside, it must always be on a leash. If a dog defecates in public, the owner must clean up properly. Failure to do so will result in a fine of up to ₹10,000. In case of violations, a fine ranging between ₹200 and ₹10,000 will be imposed, compared to ₹500 currently. After more than four challans, the dog will be impounded. Continued non-compliance will attract a fine of ₹200 per day for up to 10 days. If the dog is seized, the owner will also have to pay ₹200 per day for its upkeep. If the dog is not claimed even after 10 days and no request for its release is made within 7 days, the registration will be cancelled and the dog will be auctioned through open bidding. Dog limit per household Up to 5 marla: 1 dog (maximum 3 if separate households on each floor) 5 to 12 marla: 2 dogs 12 marla to 1 kanal: 3 dogs (at least 1 must be a mongrel/Indie) Above 1 kanal: 4 dogs (at least 2 must be mongrels/Indies) Agenda to hike community centre booking fees deferred The MC House deferred the agenda on the proposed increase in booking charges of community centres. The House decided that a survey will first be conducted to check the facilities in various community centres before the agenda is tabled again in the next House meeting.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Chandigarh civic body revises community centre policy: free use for poor girls' weddings, RWAs meet; rituals payable
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) has decided to continue offering free use of community centres for weddings of girls from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, as well as for meetings of Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Senior Citizen Associations, but ceremonies such as 'pagdi' and post-funeral meals (kriya bhog) will now attract a 25 per cent booking charge. These events were previously exempt, but the policy was revised after opposition to an initially proposed 50 per cent fee. The new draft policy, which includes revised usage rules and updated pricing, will be presented for approval in the MC House meeting scheduled on June 3. Earlier drafts that suggested charges for RWA meetings and poor girls' weddings were rolled back, following strong objections from civic groups. Revised booking charges across categories Booking fees for community centres are set to increase across the board. Category-A centres, currently priced at Rs 44,000 (including tax), will now be available for Rs 60,000 (excluding tax). Centres previously available for Rs 22,000 will now cost Rs 40,000 and applicable tax. For Category C centres, charges will increase from the previous range of Rs 5,000–Rs 22,000 to Rs 15,000–Rs 30,000. Membership-based access introduced The Corporation is also introducing an annual membership model for community centres, similar to club memberships. The annual fee has been fixed at Rs 1,000 for Category A and B centres and Rs 500 for senior citizens. For Category C centres, it will be Rs 500 and Rs 250 for senior citizens. Members will enjoy privileges such as discounted bookings and access to facilities like gyms and indoor games. The operation of each centre will be overseen by a management committee, with the area mayor acting as patron and the local councilor as chairperson. Nominated councillors and departmental SDEs will also be included in these panels. PPP model for operations and expansion Under a new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, five community centres — located in Sectors 37, 38-West, 40, 49 and 50 — will be operated and maintained by private companies. The company offering the highest revenue share will win the contract. These operators will be allowed to rebrand the centres, but booking charges cannot exceed 1.5 times the base rate. Additionally, Request for Proposals (RFPs) will be floated to construct new centres on vacant land in Sectors 24, 51, 63 and Bapu Dham (Sector 26), and to redevelop existing centres in Sector 29 and Thakurdwara (Manimajra), along with managing the Rose Club in Sector 16. These contracts will be for 15 years initially, extendable by five years.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Each ward to get ₹25L to resume devp works amid cash crunch
After a year-long pause in developmental activities due to a financial crunch, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to resume small-scale infrastructure works across the city, with mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla on Tuesday, directing the councillors to prepare a list of urgent pending projects worth up to ₹25 lakh each in their respective wards. Babla called an all-party councillors meeting on Tuesday and officially announced the allocation of a ward development fund of ₹25 lakh per councillor. Despite receiving no additional financial aid from the UT administration or the central government, the civic body is now leaning heavily on revenue generated through taxes, especially property tax, collected in the first quarter of the current fiscal year to restart halted works. Due to the ongoing fiscal crisis, no fresh tenders have been floated since May last year. The stagnation brought Chandigarh's local infrastructure development to a standstill. Even approved projects like road re-carpeting, renovation of community centres, improvement of public toilets and cremation grounds, and market beautification were put on indefinite hold. Every financial year, ₹80 lakh is earmarked for development in each ward under the 'Ward Development Fund'. Notably, councillors were not allocated any development funds in the previous financial year, further adding to public grievances over stalled civic improvements. 'The fund is aimed at addressing the basic developmental needs of each ward, including infrastructure upkeep, civic amenities, sanitation improvements, and other essential services. It is important to judiciously use the available resources to ensure that residents do not face any disruption in core civic services', mayor Babla said, while urging all councillors to prioritise key issues and work in collaboration with officials to execute development works efficiently. 'This fund is a step toward empowering local leadership to address ward-level issues swiftly and effectively. Despite financial constraints, we are committed to ensuring that the basic development needs of all city wards are met,' the mayor added. BOX: Councillors clash with commissioner over pending salaries of 400 contractual staff; meeting cut short after confrontation The meeting, which was also attended by municipal commissioner Amit Kumar and other senior MC officials, lasted only 15 minutes after councillors began questioning the commissioner over the pending salaries of nearly 400 contractual employees. According to councillors, workers in the public health wing—including sewer men—have not been paid for the past four months due to a delay in tendering processes. Commissioner Kumar clarified that one month's salary had recently been disbursed and that efforts were underway to release dues. However, despite the clarification, councillors, led by BJP's Kanwarjeet Singh Rana, continued pressing the issue, seeking an explanation for the delay. 'The MC has always maintained that they would prioritise salaries over development. We hope that they always ensure that workers do not go unpaid,' said Rana. 'We are doing our job of asking relevant questions,' he added. The commissioner eventually walked out of the meeting midway and refused to give a comment.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
MC initiates infra upgrade project worth Rs 20 lakh to resolve sewer blockage
In a step toward resolving longstanding sewer blockage issues in Ward No. 34, which includes Sectors 45 and 46, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has initiated an infrastructure upgrade project worth Rs 20 lakh. The repair and replacement work began on Friday near House No. 125 in Sector 45-A, led by local councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi. The project was inaugurated by Gabi in the presence of senior citizens and local residents through traditional rituals. Gabi highlighted that the residents of areas near Gurdwara Sahib, Sector 46-D, and sectors 45-A and 45-D, had been grappling with frequent sewer blockages due to damaged or compressed pipelines. Determined to resolve the issue, Gabi said that he approached municipal authorities and tabled a special agenda item to secure project approval. He, however, alleged that despite his persistent efforts, some officials had previously withheld the file related to the sewer upgrade. However, following a house meeting where the matter was raised before Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar and Chief Engineer Sanjay Arora, prompt action was taken and the necessary budget was sanctioned. Councillor Gabi expressed gratitude to the Municipal Commissioner and Chief Engineer for their cooperation, and announced that the damaged sewer lines in sectors 45-A and 45-D are now being replaced. In Sector 45-D, a major redesign is underway in which the sewer line passing through the rehri market is being disconnected from the residential area and reconnected to the main sewer line — aimed at eliminating future blockages. Moreover, new grease chambers are being constructed near Gurdwara Sahib in Sector 46-D to prevent the recurrence of sewer clogs.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: BJP-led MC House greenlights parking fee hike with no bumps
In a discussion free of any roadblocks or opposition, the BJP-led House of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) on Wednesday breezily cleared a steep hike in parking charges across the city — a move that will pick speed only after the civic body implements its Smart Parking project with public-private partnership. The proposal zipped through in the absence of councillors from opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who had already staged a walkout after accusing the BJP of burdening residents with back-to-back tax hikes — including the recent increase in property tax and electricity cess. With no opposition in sight, the parking fee hike went through smoothly, landing another financial jolt on city residents who are also reeling under the UT-approved rise in collector rates. Barely a month after scrapping its long-pending Smart Parking project, citing flawed tenders, MC brought a fresh proposal to the House. A committee has already finalised groundwork for a revised Request for Proposal (RFP), with the new parking rates included. As per the plan, the first 15 minutes will be free across 87 parking lots of the city — a move aimed to encourage quick departure of short-stay visitors. This will facilitate faster circulation of vehicles and optimum utilisation of parking space. Thereon, four-wheelers will be charged ₹20 for up to four hours of parking — a sharp increase from the existing ₹14 — while two-wheelers will pay ₹10 instead of ₹7. A special rate of ₹85 for the first four hours has been proposed for the parking lots near Elante Mall, Fun Republic and Piccadily Square, making parking there most expensive in the city (see box for detailed rate chart). In a significant first, MC has also proposed a mechanism for automatic parking fee hikes every four years, further burdening citizens in the long term. Meanwhile, electric vehicles (both two-wheelers and four-wheelers) have been promised free parking — until March 31, 2027. Post that, they too will be subjected to prevailing parking fees. Parking in underground facilities has been incentivised by charging ₹5 less than the surface parking rates, across all slabs. Also, to encourage the use of digital payments, MC will charge ₹5 extra in case of cash payments. Interestingly, the new parking rates will apply uniformly across the city — irrespective of whether the parking lots are operated directly by the MC or leased out to private contractors via e-tendering. As envisaged in the original plan, FASTag-enabled parking management system will remain a major feature of the Smart Parking project, allowing swift entry and exit through automatic payment. For visitors' convenience, the new parking system will also include a mobile app for booking parking slots, separate parking for two-wheelers, proper demarcated parking slots, dynamic pricing and parking availability status, to be managed by a central control centre. The increased parking rates, along with new Request for Proposal, will be sent to the UT administration for final approval. Even if approved by UT, the charges will be applicable only after MC hands over the project to a contractor and the smart parking project is fully implemented, which could take up to six months more. 'Free parking lots of encroachments' BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi said, 'MC is facing huge revenue loss as the parking lots are encroached upon by commercial vehicles, which are selling food and other products. Vendors station their vehicles inside lots, and due to police and enforcement staff nexus, they face no penalties. No private firm will agree to smart management unless these lots are freed from such misuse.' Meanwhile, the BJP councillors also approved free parking passes for councillors, media personnel, mayor, member Parliament, UT administration officers of secretary and HoD level, high court judges and registrars. Stricter penalty for unpaid water bills also flows through While the Congress and AAP councillors were still out of the House, the BJP councillors also approved MC's proposal to charge 10% compound surcharge on every water bill unpaid even after two months. The decision is aimed at ensuring timely clearance of water bills, a major source of revenue for the civic body, besides property tax and garbage fee. For perspective, if a consumer gets ₹100 as water bill every month, ₹10 (10% of the bill) is charged as penalty if the bill remains unpaid for a month. In the next cycle, the bill will rise to ₹210 ( ₹100 from last month plus ₹10 as penalty and ₹100 from current bill). However, if the bill still remains unpaid, the total next month will soar to ₹331 ( ₹210 arrears plus ₹21 as compound penalty and ₹100 from current bill). The penalty is levied under the Chandigarh Water Supply Bylaws, 2011, amended from time to time.
