‘Audit money being given to RWAs to maintain 809 parks’: Chandigarh Commissioner

This discussion was taking place in the general house meeting held at the assembly hall of the civic body in sector 17.

While discussing an agenda in this regard, BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi said that of the 35 wards, 21 have parks that are maintained by the RWAs. The Chandigarh civic body’s horticulture wing is paying Rs 39 lakh every month to the 86 RWAs to maintain the 809 parks.

Joshi said, “If I analyse the details that have been given to me, of all, just nine to 10 RWAs are getting Rs 22.14 lakh per month which is the lion’s share while the remaining 76 RWAs are getting meagre amounts. Why this disparity?”

Joshi also pointed out that an RWA has raised a bill of Rs 2.01 lakh in just one month to maintain a one-acre park.

Mitra then specified, “A huge amount of government money is going to the RWAs every year and it is unaudited.”

“Rs 4 crore to Rs 4.5 crore is going to all the resident welfare associations every year without any tender. It is government money that is going and every penny of government money has to be audited,” Mitra said.

Councillor Taruna Mehta proposed that the maintenance of the parks be taken away from the RWAs and given to the horticulture wing.

Meanwhile, BJP councillor Harpreet Babla said, “Resident welfare associations are doing a tremendous job.”

AAP councillor and Leader of Opposition, Damanpreet Singh said that an RWA is managing 35 parks. “The parks are not being maintained and we are paying them every month. This is unjust,” Singh said, adding, “They even sublet the parks. Why don’t the officials stop giving money for these parks?”

BJP’s Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu said, “There should be no limit to the number of parks being maintained by an RWA if it is doing good work.”

Commissioner Mitra then asked the officials to cancel the agreement with RWAs that are not performing.

The house also resolved that if any agency wants to maintain the parks just like the roundabouts without charging any fee, they will be allowed to do so.