On MC agenda: Renovation of cattle pounds, Mahila Bhawan rules, gym rejuvenation plan

The agenda of renovation of Sector 25 gaushala will be first taken to the House for discussion followed by renovation plan of other cattle pounds.

Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra confirmed the same.

Speaking to The Indian Express, she said, “We are renovating our cattle pounds one by one. This month we are taking the Sector 25 gaushala to the House.”

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She added, “We have four cattle pounds and fifth one is coming up at Raipur Kalan.”

She specified that the older ones are in dire need of renovation.

“All the older cattle pounds are in acute need of renovation. In fact, they need a complete overhaul, including roads and cattle sheds. Moreover, the cattle pounds need to have ETPs set up to treat the liquid waste,” she added.

The Commissioner specified that the cattle pounds will be requiring a biogas plant as well.

“Also, they need a biogas plant to process the gobar. As there is no space in the gaushalas to do so, we propose to do it at Maloya and the complex of the biomethanation plant in industrial area. We propose that the plant at Maloya can be used for processing gobar from private dairies situated there as well.”

About the estimated cost that is to be incurred on the renovation of the cattle pounds, she said, “The cost to be incurred is being estimated and the first shall go to this House meeting. It will be charged from the cow cess.”

It was stated that the funds to renovate the cattle pounds will be taken from the cow cess which is charged from the city residents.

Making gyms in community centres functional

The General House will also be discussing the agenda of rejuvenation of gyms in the community centres.

Officials of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation said that the gyms in most of the community centres are not functional as most of them require repairs or need machines to be functional.

A proposal in the General House is being brought which will give these gyms to private contractors.

Already the civic body has decided to give maintenance of green belts to private players by first trying it on a pilot basis in one park. The civic body says that it will not affect the maintenance of parks done by the residents’ welfare associations and only those will be given to private firm which are not being maintained by them.

Mahila Bhawan governing rules

The General House will also discuss the governing rules of Mahila Bhawan in Sector 38.

The Mahila Bhawan that has been lying almost unused for quite some time now is being made functional by getting its governing rules.

It is a state-of-the-art bhawan meant to encourage events for women and by women.

The Mahila Bhawan in Sector 38 had been lying defunct for over six years now. Only last year an auditorium was inaugurated.

The bhawan was inaugurated in 2015, almost six years after its foundation stone was laid in 2009 by former Union minister Ambika Soni.

As no women-centric activities were held here all these years, an attempt was made to revive it last year. With governing rules, the civic body plans to make the bhawan functional.

In 2017, a woman gym was inaugurated but even that couldn’t survive the way it was thought about. Later, since all rooms were lying vacant, few of them were given to Chandigarh Lalit Kala Academy, Chandigarh Sahitya Academy and Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Academy.

New furniture at that time was also purchased and was gathering dust in the rooms of the bhawan. It was thought to have recreation rooms and rest rooms in the bhawan but to no avail.

The bhawan was touted to be one of its kind for empowerment of women in the city. The initial aim was to provide all facilities for women under one roof, to give women a platform to carry out their research or skill development activities. But it wasn’t done.

Built at a cost of around Rs 22 crore, it is spread over an area of 1.3 acre. It has an auditorium with a seating capacity of 275 people, an exhibition hall, a library, a kitchen, a pantry, a dining hall and a gymnasium.