Parking in Sec 17: UT pulled up for ‘criminal wastage of space’

A division bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ajay Tewari took strong note of this. Speaking for the bench,Justice Ajay Tewari observed that non-utilisation of such valuable space in an area like Sector 17 amounted to criminal wastage of space and state exchequer,and those responsible for this should be identified and proceeded against.

The bench also directed the MC commissioner,director transport and chief architect to consider the suggestions by Kohli and submit a plan by June 1. The bench asked the UT authorities to prepare the plan for Sector 17,keeping in view the needs of the next two decades.

Earlier,Kohli submitted that Sector 17 already had three underground parking lots. In two of them,level-I was for four-wheelers and level-II for two-wheelers.

“Due to lack of management on the part of the Chandigarh administration,most of these are not being utilised despite convenient availability. These are lying unutilised not only on weekends but also on the days when the entire parking areas in Sector 17 are full,chaotic and congested,” she said.

The amicus curiae suggested that for proper maintenance and optimum use of these underground parking lots,ground level of these lots should be beautified with green covers and could be given on public-private partnership. She suggested that proposed multi-storey parking areas as well as the existing underground parking area in Sector 17 should be developed as terrace garden and exhibition area. It was also suggested that the parking space opposite Empire store building up to Sahib Singh be developed as underground parking. A terrace garden could be developed over it,she added.

MC closes down
night food street

Night food street,Sector 43,has been closed down. Having failed to provide food at cheaper rates and in hygienic conditions,the Municipal Corporation has decided to close it down.

After “brainstorming”,the MC will re-launch the night food street. On Friday,this was conveyed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) arising out of a suo motu notice taken by the High Court of a news item published in an English daily.

Appearing on behalf of the UT administration,senior standing counsel Sanjay Kaushal said the night food street had failed to achieve the desired effect.

MC Commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh,who was present in the court,said that the issue of starting the night food street would be taken up again only after working out the modalities and discussing it in the MC House.

A division bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ajay Tewari observed that the city needed a night food street. Speaking for the bench,Justice Ajay Tewari said the night food street was beneficial for students of Panjab University and those accompanying patients at PGIMER. The bench also asked the UT administration to ensure that the food was made available at reasonable rates.

Justice Surya Kant asked the administration to take a “holistic view” while finalising the rates. The commissioner added that modalities would be worked out for the night food street by July.

The case will now come up for resumed hearing on July 6.

The night food street had come into existence some three years back and was providing food stuff at nominal rates to the attendants of patients at PGIMER and to the Panjab University students. But the rising prices and unhygienic conditions had made it unpopular amongst city residents.