How to book a community centre in Chandigarh: Forget digital access, brace for running from pillar to post

In the digital era, when anything can be booked with a click of a button, The Indian Express visited the Municipal Corporation (MC) office to see if booking a community centre was easy. Running back and forth between the MC office and e-Sampark did not yield any result and showed the hollowness in the civic body’s promises.

Notably, during the entire process, it was found that the community centre (janghar) in Sector 23, renovation of which commenced a year and a half ago, has still not started operating.

One of the correspondents first visited the MC in Sector 17 as a citizen late last month to inquire about booking a community centre for his brother’s wedding.

At the gate, the guard present said that the booking branch is located on the other side of the centre, where officials present could help with the booking. Then, an official at the booking branch said that all bookings are now done through the e-Sampark centre, where a form needs to be filled. The correspondent was told that all the relevant details will be available at the e-Sampark centre.

The next day, the correspondent visited the e-Sampark Centre of Sector 23. When asked about the booking, an official asked him of his preference. The correspondent told the official that he would want to book the Sector-15 community centre, to which the latter responded that it is currently closed.

While querying the Sector 23 janghar, the standard reply was: “band hai vo kisi kaam karke”, suggesting that the centre is closed without elaborating the reason. The Sector-23 centre has been lying closed even as the commencement of the renovation of the same was started almost a year and a half ago.

The nearest possible Sector 22 community centre was available, however, the fee was around Rs 30,887. When the correspondent asked about the process, the official said he will need to collect a form and attach documents like Aadhaar Card and address proof and may come the next day.

On the next day when the correspondent visited the e-Sampark centre for booking, the clerk replied it’s already booked. Exhausted with the entire process, he asked for the Sector-21 centre and was told that this one was available for Rs 30,987.

The employee mentioned that the MC employees need to pay half the charges for booking.

The civic body has several times tried to bring a community centre policy but all futile efforts.

Responding to the Indian Express, Chandigarh Mayor Harpreet Babla acknowledged that there is lack of clarity on the entire community centres’ booking process.

“Yes, I have got to know that there is complete lack of clarity over the entire community centre policy. We need to streamline the rates and charges for the common man. Also the booking is a confusion. The booking branch says something else, the officials say something else. So we will bring clarity in the next House session. The idea is that a common person should not suffer,” Babla said.

“The rates need to be rationalised. There is some confusion as charges are exempted for some category and for some they are half. So we will bring it all,” she added.

Abhishek Goyat is an intern with The Indian Express

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