U T Administrator Badnore addressing people at an event held at Chandigarh Press club.(express photo).
U T Administrator V P Singh Badnore on Sunday said that Chandigarh residents need to “change their mindset” as they can “afford lavish cars” but “do not want to pay Rs 5 for parking”.
Badnore was addressing media persons at an event held in Chandigarh Press club.
Parking in the city is a mess and several residents have criticised the increasing rates as well. Chandigarh Municipal Corporation have now allotted the contract to two companies and the parking attendants are also facing a similar issue where people enter into a brawl over parking fee.
Badnore further said that “it is not the administrator but people of Chandigarh take decisions for the city”.
“On the inputs of the public, the officers are asked to work on the solutions. Committees comprising various stakeholders have been constituted who further discuss the issues and then it comes to me,” he said.
Badnore stated that they are already working on the issue of parking and it will be taken up in the sub committees and then the Advisory council committee’s meeting.
Stating that “citizens need to contribute a bit”, Badnore said that even he has observed how in parking lots in markets, lot of space is taken up by the shopkeepers’ cars itself and they should chalk out solutions like car pooling.
The administrator also said he was “happy to be able to change the face of Sector 17”. He added that when he had visited Sector 17, before becoming the administrator, he would find it wanting at several fronts.
Meanwhile, on the issue of increasing snatching cases in Chandigarh, Badnore said, “I convened a meeting of all three state ( Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh) police chiefs so that there is proper coordination in the Tricity. Infact, Chandigarh is a city comprising well-off people and thus is a target of the snatchers. But with effective coordination, we have been and will be able to curb the cases,” he said.
Metro and Monorail
The UT Administrator said that sub committees have been constituted under advisory council and they will be taking up the issue. Badnore said that a solution to increasing traffic will be got soon but even people should contribute their bit to use more and more bicycles that too when city has a dedicated network of cycle tracks.
‘Chandigarh kids should come forward in sports’
The administrator said that he wishes that more people from Chandigarh get into sports activities. “I went to a football club and found that ninety per cent of people were from outside. More and more Chandigarh kids should come into sports and for them we are creating world class facilities,” he said adding that they will be coming up with an International shooting range in Chandigarh.
Development in villages
Badnore also said that soon he will pay a visit to the villages and ensures to get them on a par with the urban belt in the city. He also said that the move of renaming colonies and villages is being widely appreciated. “People are really happy to have Manimajra as Sector 13. There were some people who criticized and tried to spread that the number is unlucky, but most of the residents are really happy about the renaming,” he said.
Indira holiday home to be senior citizens home
He also informed that soon they will have a home for senior citizens at the place where Indira holiday home is being run in Sector 24. The holiday home set up in early 1960s was being run by a society headed by former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna.
In 1960, the holiday home was being run by the Punjab social welfare department. It was being used for multipurpose activities like short stay by children during their visit to Chandigarh, NCC cadets, skill training and other activities on nominal charges. The place, at that time, was also known for having a toy train for kids.