Pay attention to upkeep of public parks: Residents tell Admn

“Special care should be taken for maintenance of parks,and not only should the Administration ensure proper functioning of street-light points and high-mast-lights,the parks should also have facilities like benches and wings,” said Nayar.

He also sought that the parks should be maintained by PMC and a uniform policy for beautification should be adopted for all parks in

the city.

Nayar also said that police should emulate the traffic pattern in Chandigarh and that speed-breakers should be removed around schools to ensure easy flow of traffic.

The issue of illegal encroachment was also brought up at the meeting. The association suggested that the Administration should take steps to remove the illegal encroachments on the roads. “ The hand-carts being run from the Madhya-Marg road in Sector 7 and 18 to 12 and 12A cause major traffic problems in these area and should be removed,” he said.

Nayar also added that the government should set up e-service centres to ensure the timely disposal of services.

RWAs paying for security,CCTVs to check crime

PANCHKULA: In the wake of rising crime incidents in the city,residents are pooling money to beef up security in different sectors. These steps,which include residents contributing towards the security of sectors and even using the services of private security agencies to set up sensors that alerts the agencies in case of incidents of thefts,have come after police told the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) that it doesn’t have enough manpower to provide round-the-clock vigil in different sectors and they should also devise their own means to keep a check on crime.

Residents in different sectors are pooling in between Rs 50 to Rs 100 every month to provide security in different sectors. A Sector 7 resident said that the monthly contribution is apart from what they have paid as a one-time contribution to set up gates in different sectors. Member of Panchkula Municipal Corporation (PMC),C B Goel,said,” We held a meeting with senior police officials recently where we were told that we should take measures to beef up the security in the sectors. We were told to set up CCTVs at different places to prevent incidents of theft and chain snatching.”

The residents,besides contributing nearly Rs 2,000 each to set up the gates in different sectors,are also contributing towards the monthly wages of the security staff being deployed to keep vigil on the entry of people during late night hours. The RWAs have also been asked by the police to set up CCTVs with the police willing to help identify the CCTVs points. Police Commissioner,Panchkula-Ambala,range,Rajbir Deswal,said that security training was provided to more than 100 guards.

However,Goel said that the cost of the CCTVs should have been borne by the police and not the residents.

President of Citizen’s Welfare Association ((CWA) Panchkula,S K Nayar,said that measures like strengthening of private security have come as incidents of crime have shot up in the city. He said in the wake of crime incidents,there is a need to set up CCTVs not only at the entrance gates of the sectors but also in market areas.