Capitol Complex like a concentration camp,says Sharma

The Capitol Complex comprises the Secretariat,Assembly and the High Court apart from several monuments. The Secretariat and the Assembly,occupied by the governments of Punjab and Haryana,have very stringent security measures in place.

Sharma said that the Capitol Complex is one of the greatest creations of Le Corbusier. “There are excessive security checks at the Capitol Complex. Open Hand,the symbol of Chandigarh is out of bounds. People are not allowed to click pictures. The whole area is barricaded with barbed wire fencing and gives the appearance of a concentration camp,” he said.

Sharma added that on one hand the Administration talks of encouraging tourism,but on the other places so many hurdles for the tourists,“In this age of modern surveillance devices at every corner of the Capitol Complex,it would be easy to monitor activity from a single room.” He further said that such restrictions were not found in any other place in the country.

While voices have been raised time and again for better access to the area,no action has been taken. Sharma said that the bureaucrats who are appointed to the city belong to Punjab and Haryana. “They do not want to take up cudgels for the city as they have to return to their parent states after completing their tenure here. Punjab and Haryana are tenants in these buildings. There is a need for public to react on such issues,” he said.

Sharma said that the development around the city is unregulated,“Construction that is coming up in the periphery is against the interest of Chandigarh. While rules are in place,the violations are going unchecked. The rules are modified once violations are committed.” He added that the people who are residing in the periphery will suffer due to the lack of facilities.

Criticising the proposal of night tourism in the city,Sharma said that for such a venture there has to be infrastructure in place which the city as yet does not possess. He said that a number of proposals mooted by the previous lot of officers including the IT Park were not conducive for the city.