Latest news with #MC
Indian Express
13 hours 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.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Chandigarh MC collects record property tax during 2-month rebate period
1 2 Chandigarh: The Chandigarh municipal corporation has achieved an unprecedented property tax collection of approximately Rs 60 crore during April and May rebate period. Citizens submitted payments via e-Sampark Centres and banks, with e-Sampark Centres, which operated until 8pm on Saturday, receiving the majority of payments. The final figures might increase slightly, but this collection marks the highest amount ever received during a two-month rebate period. The detailed breakdown of residential and commercial property tax collections will be published on Monday after data compilation. Sources indicate that whilst commercial properties contributed the larger share of the amount, residential property owners represented the highest number of taxpayers. "As the rates of commercial property tax are substantially higher than the residential properties, the collected amount of commercial property tax is relatively higher than the residential tax category. On the other hand, the maximum taxpayers fall in the residential taxpayers category," sources in the MC said. Official records indicate that e-Sampark Centres collected approximately Rs 48 crore, whilst banks received around rupees 12 crore. About 65,000 taxpayers participated during April and May, with roughly 51,000 from residential properties and the remainder from commercial establishments. The tax branch officials worked diligently over these two months, encouraging taxpayers to utilise the rebate period. The MC addressed numerous queries from taxpayers who visited their office during this period. The previous year's collection during April and May 2024 was approximately rupees 39 crore, with lower tax rates. Following the Chandigarh administration's decision to double property tax rates in April, the MC anticipates collecting around rupees 70 crore this financial year, excluding arrears. Currently, Chandigarh has 1.42 lakh properties, comprising 1.12 lakh residential and 30,000 commercial properties. The rebate period concluded on May 31, and those who missed the deadline must now pay a 25% penalty on their total property tax amount, plus 12% interest. During the rebate period, residential properties received a 20% rebate, whilst commercial properties received 10%.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
MC prepares Rs 10cr plan for public services at Manimajra housing project site
1 2 Chandigarh: With the Chandigarh municipal corporation eagerly pursuing the matter related to disposal of the Manimajra land parcel for a residential housing society project, its engineering department has finalised a comprehensive plan worth approximately Rs 10 crore for establishing essential underground and overhead services in pocket number 6 of Manimajra. A detailed agenda is scheduled for discussion during Tuesday's monthly general house meeting, seeking members' approval to initiate tender processes for basic service provisions. Various divisions of MC's engineering department, including Building and Roads, Public Health, Electrical, and Horticulture, have collaborated on this project. Officials from each division conducted thorough assessments of their respective domains, culminating in a consolidated financial estimate for the site development. "Providing roads infrastructure, water supply network, sewage lines, electrification, and horticulture work are some of the key basic public services required at the spot before doing any other works there. Thus, the matter was discussed at the level of the senior officers, following which the financial estimates were prepared. Since the area of pocket number 6 of Manimajra, where this housing project is planned, is completely vacant land, none of the services are there, and thus all the works have to be done by keeping the residential accommodations in mind," sources in the MC revealed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo A senior official indicated that whilst awaiting clarification from the Deputy Commissioner's office regarding the area's collector rate, the MC continues to advance preparations within its jurisdiction. "The senior officers of the MC and DC office are also in touch on this issue, and the clarification regarding the Collector Rate of this specific chunk of land, where the housing project has to come, will come soon," sources revealed. Box: The approved zoning and layout plan encompasses five residential pockets across 7.7 acres in Manimajra. With the UT's approval of 2 Floor Area Ratio (FAR), developments may reach five storeys. The plan incorporates dedicated spaces for shopping facilities, green areas, and reserved land. The UT's Urban Planning Department's recent layout plan approval for pocket number 6 includes modifications based on the survey plan, featuring five group housing pockets, convenient shopping, green areas, playground, and reserved spaces.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
MC conducts anti-encroachment drive in Sector 26 vegetable market
1 2 3 Chandigarh: The municipal corporation, in coordination with the police department and the marketing committee, conducted an anti-encroachment drive on Saturday in the vegetable market of Sector 26. Following the directions of municipal commissioner Amit Kumar, the enforcement team cleared unauthorised structures and obstructions, including rheris (carts), wooden planks, plastic crates, and balance tables. During the drive, the authority issued a total of 42 on-spot fines for violations of municipal norms. The drive aimed to maintain public order, ensure free pedestrian movement, and uphold cleanliness in the market area. The MC reiterated its commitment to keeping public spaces free from encroachment and urged vendors to cooperate by operating within designated zones. Such drives will continue regularly to ensure proper enforcement and improved urban management. Smart Parking Solution project meet held A meeting of the committee on Smart Parking Solution project of the municipal corporation was held on Saturday. The committee held detailed deliberations on various aspects of the project, including the overall scope of work, hardware and software components, and the eligibility and technical criteria for prospective bidders. Key features such as pink parking provisions for women, internet connectivity for real-time parking management, pre-booking of paid parking slots, and pre-paid parking cards for use across Chandigarh were discussed and finalised.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Booking community centres in Chandigarh may soon be a costlier affair
Residents looking to host their celebrations at community centres in Chandigarh may soon have to set aside a fatter budget, as the municipal corporation has proposed an up to three-fold hike in their booking charges. The proposal, aimed at generating much-needed revenue for the cash-strapped MC, is set to be tabled in the House meeting scheduled for June 3. Depending on the facilities offered, the community centres located across the city are classified into three categories. Category A centres, earlier available for ₹44,000, will cost ₹60,000 — a 36% jump — if the proposal goes through. The booking charge for Category B centres is set to be doubled from ₹22,000 to ₹40,000, while the steepest hike is proposed for Category C centres, with an up to three-fold increase — going up from ₹5,000- ₹22,000 earlier to ₹15,000- ₹30,000. Weddings of women from families living below the poverty line, along with medical camps, blood donation camps, UT/MC events, and meetings of RWAs, senior citizens' bodies and pensioners' associations will continue to be exempted from the booking charge. But memorial prayer meetings, such as rasam pagdi and kriya bhog, which were also free earlier, will now entail 25% of the booking fee. An earlier draft had proposed booking charges for even weddings of economically weaker families and RWA meetings, but the move faced strong resistance from various organisations, leading to its withdrawal. Membership model similar to clubs on anvil According to the agenda, residents will now be able to become members of community centres, similar to clubs. Annual membership fees have been proposed as follows: Category A and B centres: ₹1,000 for general members and ₹500 for senior citizens. Category C centres: ₹500 for general members and ₹250 for senior citizens. Members will receive discounts on bookings, and will also get access to gym facilities and indoor games. A community centre administrative committee will be constituted to oversee operations and service improvements. This committee will follow a mayor-led structure, with the area councillor serving as chairperson and nominated councillors as vice-chairpersons. Sub-divisional engineers from various wings will be part of the committee. Water connections outside Lal Dora area The proposal to allow water connections outside the Lal Dora limits of 22 villages will be tabled again during the House meeting. Though approved in March, it will now be presented after legal vetting as per the water bylaws. Pet bylaws may finally go through The draft of the 'Pet Dogs and Community Dogs Bylaws, 2025' will be presented for final approval. Initially passed on March 11, 2024, and sent to the secretary, local government, the draft was subjected to public feedback for 30 days. Incorporating suggestions and objections, the revised version is now ready for adoption.
