The Times of India 20.10.2010
Rejected plot, high tender rates freeze plans
CHANDIGARH: The grand plans of UT municipal corporation to open more night food streets in city have failed to take off. While the proposal of opening a food street in Sector 17 was shelved after authorities failed to select the site, another site selected at Sector 48 around a year back too has failed to take off as contractors are not stepping forward to start construction work.
After scrapping the Sector-17 proposal, MC authorities had invited bids from contractors twice but they failed to get any response. Now bids are going to be invited for the third time. MC chief engineer SS Bida said that tenders would be called soon.
Councillor Jatinder Bhatia, who represent Sector 48 in the civic body, said that due to steep rise in cost of raw material, contractors were not coming forward, while rate quoted in the earlier tenders were too high. “The officials should reduce the tender rates to make the project feasible,” he said.
Claiming that night food street is required in the Sector-17 business centre, former mayor and Congress councillor Pardeep Chhabra said authorities could have easily selected the plot at the rear of Sector-17 football stadium, where a park has come up, but they rejected it.
Many feel that as compared to cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangaluru and Mumbai, Chandigarh lacks vibrancy of nightlife, and by showing lacklustre attitude towards such projects, the MC is hampering the city’s growth as a metro.
“After 10 pm, city roads bear a deserted look and shops are closed. People like us who have moved from bigger cities find it hard to accept that Chandigarh has no lightlife. Barring few coffee shops, there is no place to enjoy,” said KD Singh, who recently moved here from Mumbai.
After scrapping the Sector-17 proposal, MC authorities had invited bids from contractors twice but they failed to get any response. Now bids are going to be invited for the third time. MC chief engineer SS Bida said that tenders would be called soon.
Councillor Jatinder Bhatia, who represent Sector 48 in the civic body, said that due to steep rise in cost of raw material, contractors were not coming forward, while rate quoted in the earlier tenders were too high. “The officials should reduce the tender rates to make the project feasible,” he said.
Claiming that night food street is required in the Sector-17 business centre, former mayor and Congress councillor Pardeep Chhabra said authorities could have easily selected the plot at the rear of Sector-17 football stadium, where a park has come up, but they rejected it.
Many feel that as compared to cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangaluru and Mumbai, Chandigarh lacks vibrancy of nightlife, and by showing lacklustre attitude towards such projects, the MC is hampering the city’s growth as a metro.
“After 10 pm, city roads bear a deserted look and shops are closed. People like us who have moved from bigger cities find it hard to accept that Chandigarh has no lightlife. Barring few coffee shops, there is no place to enjoy,” said KD Singh, who recently moved here from Mumbai.
