MC workers uprooting the existing pavers and tiles and replacing them with new ones. (Express Photo by Sahil Walia/File)Union Territory Adviser Manoj Kumar Parida, who is also the Chief Vigilance Officer, on Thursday sought all records pertaining to the installation of paver blocks from urban planning department, taking cognizance of a Chandigarh Newsline report ‘It’s raining paver blocks’, published on the day.
A senior official of the urban planning department said Parida has called for the paver policy, objections raised by the chief architect and all the works carried out post the objections, including the duplication of pavers.
Chief engineer asked to explain
Municipal Corporation (MC) Chandigarh Special Commissioner Sanjay Jha, who also holds the additional charge of MC Commissioner, said he has asked the chief engineer to explain the issue.
The House, in its special budget meeting for 2019-20, okayed the installation of pavers and PCC tiles worth Rs 25.77 crore in various sectors, mostly along V6 roads, where these are not allowed. As much as Rs 20.13 crore had already been spent on pavers in the last three years.
Parida said, “I have checked with my office. We are looking into it to see if there is any kind of fraudulent activity involved in it. There have been several complaints from Residents Welfare Associations as well.”
Contacted, the special commissioner told Chandigarh Newsline that he didn’t have the background of the issue as he had joined recently. “But now I have sought an explanation from the chief engineer. It is serious indeed if they are dismantling new ones and installing them again,” he said. Of Rs 25.77 crore, an amount of Rs 17.37 crore will be spent only in urban sectors.
Pavers and PCC tiles worth Rs 3.10 crore have been approved in former mayor Davesh Moudgil’s ward. Out of the budget of Rs 7 crore earmarked for colonies, a lion’s share of Rs 4.43 crore will be spent on paver blocks, leaving a meagre sum for other civic amenities. Under the head of infrastructure facilities in villages, Rs 3.96 crore will be spent only on 80-mm paver blocks. Here, the highest amount of Rs 1.83 crore will be spent on pavers in Burail, followed by Kajheri with Rs 67.64 lakh. This despite having a provision of laying bituminous concrete roads in villages.
Residents join the anti-paver movement
Residents have begun a campaign against paver blocks. Vinod Vashisht, president of government houses residents welfare society, Sector 22, has circulated a message among over 300 members in a WhatsApp groups of residents welfare associations, that if any resident notices laying of paver blocks in any of the restricted areas, he/she should immediately upload pictures with time stamps on online grievance portal of the MC.
Chief architect’s directives in 2018
As per Chandigarh master plan 2031, construction of footpaths is not recommended along internal V6 roads due to less volume of traffic and to avoid excessive hard surfaces in the city to maintain its green character. The MC has already placed paver blocks along most of the V6 roads, which are used for parking of vehicles, and have actually blocked the pedestrian movement. This is a very serious concern and should be given due attention to save the existing tree cover of the city.’’
