Mohali MC to take over 105 parks from GMADA on April 1

The municipal corporation of Mohali will take over the possession of 105 parks in Sectors 76-80 from Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) on April 1

The municipal corporation of Mohali will take over the possession of 105 parks in Sectors 76-80 from Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) on April 1.

As per the agreement in 2016, GMADA was to pay ₹5 crore every year to MC for the maintenance of parks and the total amount fixed was ₹50 crore, but in the last four years, GMADA has paid only ₹34 crore. (HT FILE PHOTO)

A survey is being conducted by the civic body, who will only take over fully developed parks. GMADA had already released funds ₹25 crore as maintenance charges for parks.

At present, the MC is taking care of around 565 parks from Sectors 48C to 71. Since Sectors 71 to 75 in the Industrial Area have no parks, MC will now be taking over 105 parks in Sectors 76-80.

‘Almost all our parks are ready’

On the other hand, a senior official of GMADA said, “All our parks are ready and in some parks in Sectors 79 and 80, civil work is pending, which is going on now.”

The announcement about the parks was made last year in December by cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu. He had also said that the MC would take over the maintenance of city roads, too. GMADA has already taken over the maintenance of the water supply and sewerage system in the new sectors of GMADA from January 1 onwards.

MC councillor and president of Plot Allotment and Development Welfare Committee, Sector 76-80, Sucha Singh Kalaur, said, “It was a long pending demand of the residents. Now, the maintenance would be easier, quicker and to the satisfaction of the people. Local councillors would be able to identify and follow up on requisite repairs and maintenance of local roads and the big and small parks of the city.”

GMADA-MC tussle over payments

In the past, many a tussle has erupted between GMADA and the MC over the payment of ₹50 crore for 540 parks, which were handed over to the civic body in 2017. The MC, however, has not paid the amount to resident welfare associations for the past three months.

As per the agreement in 2016, GMADA was to pay ₹5 crore every year to MC for the maintenance of parks and the total amount fixed was ₹50 crore, but in the last four years, GMADA has paid only ₹34 crore.

The civic body pays the RWAs ₹2.45 per square metre per month for maintenance of around 56 acres (2.2 lakh square metre) of park land, which comes out to be around ₹6 lakh a month. The MC makes the payment to the RWAs by the seventh of each month.