E-Paper
Elections over, Chandigarh MC reverts to development works
F&CC to meet today to take call on agendas, including deployment of more monkey catchers, extension of contract for animal birth control (ABC), etc.
With model code of conduct ending on Thursday, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has decided to hold its Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) meeting on Friday to discuss and approve various developmental works in the city.
The model code of conduct was enforced on March 16. Under the MCC, no new House meeting or F&CC meeting could be held and no new developmental project could be initiated.
Considering the complaints of monkey menace in the city and success of already deployed monkey catchers, the civic body will table a proposal for approval from F&CC to extend the services of monkey catchers in ward 10 which includes Sector 27, 28 and 29 for one year, at a cost of ₹12 lakh per year.
The MC has already deployed monkey catchers and mimickers who use langur calls to scare away the monkeys.
The mimickers were employed after the task of catching monkeys in the city was assigned to the MC. This change occurred because the animal was removed from the list of protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2022. Previously, the forest department was responsible for catching monkeys.
Besides this the civic body will table various other agendas, including construction of pedestrian path, strengthening of sewerage system, fixing of children play 14-19 equipment and open-air gym in various parks, extension of contract for animal birth control (ABC) for dog sterilisation at ABC Centre at Raipur Kalan and Sector 38W and other projects.
House meeting on June 11
Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor of Aam Aadmi Party will hold his first official house meeting on June 11 and will table various agendas and policies for the city.
After having clinched victory in the Chandigarh mayoral elections in a hard-fought legal battle that went up to the Supreme Court, Dhalor had formally taken charge as mayor on February 28 and had presented seven agendas in the House on March 11, during the elections for the F&CC members. During the poll day, Dhalor had tabled a total of seven agendas and the INDIA bloc councillors had approved two ‘gifts’ for city residents, including—20,000 litres of water free-of-cost to each household every month and free parking for all in city markets—amid ruckus with the BJP councillors.
The two gifts are on hold since then as the agendas have not been approved by the UT administration as of now. However, the UT administrator was not convinced with the proposals and just a day after the House meeting UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit had said he wouldn’t approve the House decision.
