Amend ‘anti-citizen’ policies in a month or face protest: Chandigarh mayor to admn

Chandigarh mayor Anup Gupta launched into a tirade against the UT administration while speaking at an event organised by a joint forum of 18 associations, including the CRAWFED and Beopar Mandal, at the PhD Chamber of Commerce, Sector 31, Chandigarh.

Mayor Anup Gupta launched into a tirade against the UT administration, terming its policies on three key issues -- electric vehicle (EV) policy, floor-wise sale of properties, and penalty on building violations – as “anti-citizen”, and gave it a month’s ultimatum to make amends. He said he will sit on protest, along with the citizens, otherwise.

Mayor Anup Gupta launched into a tirade against the UT administration, terming its policies on three key issues -- electric vehicle (EV) policy, floor-wise sale of properties, and penalty on building violations – as “anti-citizen”, and gave it a month’s ultimatum to make amends. He said he will sit on protest, along with the citizens, otherwise. (HT File)

Gupta said this while speaking at an event organised by a joint forum of 18 associations, including the CRAWFED and Beopar Mandal, at the PhD Chamber of Commerce, Sector 31, Chandigarh.

The forum has been formed to take on the administration’s alleged “anti-citizens and anti-traders policies”.

Criticising the EV policy, the mayor said, “The UT administration is restricting the registration of non-electric vehicles, under the Chandigarh Smart City scheme, to make the city carbon neutral but it does not have proper infrastructure in place to implement the policy.”

“Further, petrol and diesel vehicles from other states will continue to enter the city, with no restrictions, so how can the city be made carbon neutral. When the Delhi government implemented the ‘odd-even’ policy on vehicles, it applied even to vehicles entering the city. If the Chandigarh administration wants to limit non-EVs in the city, it should restrict vehicles from other states too.”

‘Floor-wise sale of properties’

Commenting on the issue of a ban imposed by the administration on floor-wise registry across city, the mayor said, “Every citizen of the city is affected by this. The administration should start the registry of share-wise property in all sectors of the city, except Sector 1 to 30, where the matter is under legal preview.”

For perspective, the Supreme Court had ruled that the first 30 sectors of Chandigarh carry the heritage status of Le Corbusier zone and, therefore, conversion of residential houses into floor-wise apartments cannot be permitted in these sectors. But the administration imposed the ban across the city.

‘Charges on misuse violations’

The mayor also opposed the UT administration’s decision of revising the penalty charges on violators of building bylaws, as per Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952.

“The administration had revised and fixed the penalty chargers under a notification in 2017 but the revised charges have been sent to the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) for final approval only now. If the approval from the Union ministry was not taken earlier, how can the UT amend the 1952 Act and charge more money from city residents,” the mayor said, adding that the 2017 notification should be declared null and void at the earliest.

‘Will sit on borders to protest’

The mayor said that if the administration does not take citizen-friendly decisions on the three issues, he will sit on protest, along with city residents. “I, along with city residents, will sit on Chandigarh borders and stop entry for every non-EV vehicle from other states. With UT’s decision of EV policy, only city residents are facing the burden. People can easily register vehicles from Mohali and Panchkula and ply on Chandigarh roads.”

‘Officers can’t run Chandigarh’

The mayor further said, “While Mohali and Panchkula are developing rapidly, the development in Chandigarh has taken a backseat due to officers’ decisions. Chandigarh can’t be run by officers. Citizens have the right to suggest changes in policies. I am a citizen first, then a mayor, and I will support citizens on each policy.”

Mayor Vs Administration

Earlier too, mayor Anup Gupta had objected to the UT administration’s alleged ‘meddling’ in MC affairs after it issued instructions to the civic body on the smart parking project before it could be tabled in the House. Mayor had, at the time, said that officers cannot run the city and elected representatives must take decisions on public-centric issues. Before this, the mayor had stopped the administration from sealing illegal structures at Bharat Vikas Parishad. In May, city councillors had protested against the administration for not giving ‘due importance’ to the city mayor for he was not invited at a photo-op during the Indian Air Force (IAF) Heritage Centre’s inauguration on May 8 and for not including the mayor in the ‘high-powered committee’ to frame the project proposal of new integrated waste management plant.

When contacted, UT advisor Dharampal said the electric vehicle policy will be reviewed shortly whereas the floor-wise registry of properties in Chandigarh is regulated by the Supreme Court. He said that if anyone has issues on the Supreme Court judgement, he or she can approach the Supreme Court. “We have no other option but to comply with the Supreme Court judgements,” said Dharampal.