Hike maintenance cost for better park upkeep: RWAs to Chandigarh MC

In the 2,300 acres under Chandigarh MC’s jurisdiction, there are 1,800 neighbourhood parks and 809 of these (covering around 290 acres) are being maintained by 86 RWAs in exchange for ₹4.15 per square km per month — totalling to around ₹39 lakh each month

In the wake of councillors highlighting improper upkeep of city parks in the General House meeting of the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) last week, resident welfare associations (RWAs), that maintain around 45% of city parks, believe that the civic body should hike the maintenance cost for better results.

Despite the massive expenditure, Chandigarh councillors say residents continue to be greeted to heaps of garbage, horticulture waste, stray cattle and dogs, and broken swing sets and gym equipment at the parks, especially those located in southern sectors and in city’s periphery. (HT File Photo)

In the 2,300 acres under MC’s jurisdiction, there are 1,800 neighbourhood parks and 809 of these (covering around 290 acres) are being maintained by 86 RWAs in exchange for ₹4.15 per square km per month — totalling to around ₹39 lakh each month. The rest are being managed by MC itself.

Interestingly, 10 of the 86 RWAs are getting the lion’s share of ₹23.86 lakh per month, while ₹15 lakh is being paid to the remaining 76 RWAs.

Despite the massive expenditure, councillors say residents continue to be greeted to heaps of garbage, horticulture waste, stray cattle and dogs, and broken swing sets and gym equipment at the parks, especially those located in southern sectors and in city’s periphery.

On the other hand, RWAs say they need to be paid at least ₹10 per square km per month to set things right.

“The ₹4.15 per square km paid by MC is quite meagre compared to the cost involved to maintain the parks. We have to spend from our pockets to pay for plants, flowers, gardeners and fixing other issues. Ironically, at the parks under its care, MC spends at least ₹6 per square km per month. MC must hike the maintenance cost for better maintenance of parks,” said Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Resident Association of Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), adding that if MC finds any RWA misusing funds or submitting fake bills, its contract should be cancelled immediately.

‘Bills not reimbursed on time’

Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC) chairman Baljinder Singh Bittu also complained, “Even though we maintain parks in exchange for paltry compensation, MC does not even reimburse the bills on time. The amount gets piled up for months. MC even deducts money, alleging improper maintenance. Though the compensation is fixed at ₹4.15 per square km, in reality, MC pays less than ₹2 per square km. Also, MC must hand over maintenance to only old RWAs so that people cannot form new associations to get contracts and misuse funds.”

It is worth mentioning that when MC initially handed over parks to RWAs in 2012, it paid them ₹1.50 per square km per month. The rate was revised to ₹2.48 in 2013 and then finally to ₹4.15 in 2021.

Private firms can perform better: MC chief

MC commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “The amount being paid to RWAs for park maintenance should be audited. In the past too, I had also proposed an agenda to limit the number of parks handed over to each RWA, but it was rejected by the House. MC can maintain parks by itself. However, community participation is also required. So, we encourage RWAs to take care of maintenance.”

“But as decided by the House, we will invite private firms to maintain parks in lieu of free advertisement space at parks. We will approach big firms. The idea is similar to firms/agencies maintaining city’s roundabouts in return for free advertisement space at the rotaries,” Mitra said.