No Rose Festival in Chandigarh this year

The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) on Wednesday decided against organising Rose Festival this year in the wake of pandemic.

The decision was taken in the MC’s General House meeting where most of the councillors raised their concern over the event, which generally draws huge crowds.

The civic body has decided to “symbolically” organise the event and honour Covid-19 frontline workers, including doctors and MC staff, who worked to bring the infection under control in the city.The MC will also felicitate gardeners and other workers of Rose Garden.

Since the MC took over the event in 2012, this is the first time it has been cancelled.

The civic body had brought an agenda for the general House’s approval for spending ₹89 lakh on the three-day event. The highest amount — about ₹26 lakh — was to be spent on waterproof tents and furniture. A sum of ₹5.15 lakh was proposed to make horticulture arrangements, while ₹7.67 lakh was to be spent on decorations, security, lights and sound system. The remaining amount was reserved for prizes, competitions, fun activities and high tea among others.

Like the previous years, helicopter rides were also proposed.

However, after opposition from councillors, the civic body decided to constitute a committee that would decide on how to spend a restricted amounton amenities at the garden.