The maintenance of neighbourhood parks in Chandigarh is all set to go into private hands.
Finally, the commissioner decided that the parks of one sector would be given to a private player on pilot basis, as of now.
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According to details, the amount of maintenance to be given on job-work basis, will come out to be Rs 4,93,946 per acre of a park.
There are 1800 neighbourhood parks in the city, sprawled over 1916 acres. If the civic body plans to give out around 1900 acres for maintenance to private players in future, then the total amount of the project will come up to nearly
Rs 93,84,97,400.
As per details, the RWAs at present are being paid Rs 4.15/sqm per month for the maintenance of such neighbourhood parks. However, once privatised, the civic body plans to shell out Rs 10.17/sqm per month, thereby paying more than double for the same job.
During Friday’s meeting, officials informed that parks, other than those being maintained by RWAs, cannot be managed by the civic body, due to shortage of manpower.
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It was after this that an agenda to privatise maintenance was introduced.
Councillors object to the move
Councillors cutting across party lines, however, objected to the move stating that some RWAs were doing a nice job in maintaining the parks.
Commissioner, Anindita Mitra, then specified that they will give those neighbourhood parks to private players which are not being managed by RWAs. She also said that in case RWAs are not doing the work properly, the civic body reserved the right to cancel the contract as “it is the government’s money that is being given to the RWAs”. She stated that audit of funds being given to RWAs is also not being done.
The commissioner then explained to the House that even the RWAs will be free to participate in the tenders for maintenance of parks, which are not with the RWAs.
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However, Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat stated that the RWAs had no job work experience. “As it is said that the RWAs can also participate, I want to put forth that they don’t have that kind of job work experience and I request that then they may be exempted from certain terms and conditions which will be put on other professional companies.”
Rawat also stated that since some city resident welfare associations are really doing a nice job, they may be given the first preference when maintenance of parks is handed to private players.
BJP Councillor Kanwarjeet Rana asked if the officials could explain the financial implications of the process.
Chief engineer NP Sharma then explained the rates that will be given and the comparison with what was being given to RWA and what would be given on job work basis.
Officials stated that many gardeners they had employed had also retired, making it difficult for the civic body to care for the parks.
There are a total of 1800 neighbourhood parks in various sectors of Chandigarh, out of which 713 parks are maintained by RWAs who have signed MoUs with the Horticulture wing of the municipality at Rs 4.15/sqm per month.
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There are a total of 100 big gardens that are being maintained departmentally.
“But during foot inspection visit by higher office, it has come to notice that most of the parks are not being maintained in view of aesthetic values, landscaping work and day-to-day maintenance. So proposal as a policy for development and further maintenance of neighbourhood parks and green belts in various sectors of Chandigarh on job work basis is proposed,” the agenda stated.
Proposal to restrict number of parks given to RWAs opposed
Cutting across party lines, the councillors also did not agree to the point of restricting the number of neighbourhood parks that can be given to the RWAs for maintenance.
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Another agenda in this regard was brought for discussion where it was said that “at present there was no limit on number of parks which can be assigned to RWA for maintenance. As a result, maintenance and upkeep was not upto the mark.” It was proposed to restrict allotment of parks to one RWA to maximum upto 3 parks for maintenance and upkeep.
Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat stated that there should absolutely be no limit because there were some RWAs who were doing very good job in maintaining the parks.
The councillors together also resolved that it should be at the discretion or recommendation of councillor in every area who would decide what parks can be given to which RWA, and if one area has several RWAs and there should absolutely be no limit on number of parks assigned.
Commissioner Mitra then stated that then it meant they were rejecting the agenda. However Councillors stated that “they are just approving the agenda with an amendment”.