The Times of India 30.08.2010
Civic body to take on new challengesNishu Mahajan | Chandigarh
The civic body of the city is all set to take up new challenges with the transfer of nearly seven coveted departments from the Chandigarh Administration to the MC from September.
The long pending demand of the Municipal Corporation to have more power and staff will be met finally with the transfer of departments namely primary Education, primary Health, V-3 roads, all big parks and green parks to the MC.
“Though the notification regarding the transfer of departments has not been received as yet, the same will be sent to the MC by the beginning of next month,” said city’s Mayor Anu Chatrath while talking to The Pioneer.
Chatrath said: “With the transfer of departments, there will be an urgent need of more manpower and funds and we have already discussed the same with the City Administration.”
“Earlier, the Administration had proposed to send additional staff for six months to the MCC after the transfer of departments so as to ensure the smooth functioning of the civic body with more responsibilities. Now we have requested the City Administration to send the additional manpower for at least one year so that the MCC would comprehend the new functions and would put in best of their endeavors later, she added.
More than 15 years after the MCC came into being, the City Administration decided to empower the civic body in a major way and the major development came after the initiatives of Punjab Governor and City Administrator Shivraj Patil, who had asked the UT Administration to transfer some departments to the civic body.
Following the pattern of national capital New Delhi, where the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is looking after schools, health centers and green belts, the MCC here will now follow the same pattern and will take over the primary education and primary health services of the city.
The transfers of these functions are being sought under the 12th schedule of the 74th constitutional amendment and once the provisions are implemented, the MC will get more power and staff.
The administration will transfer all gardens including the big gardens namely Rose Garden, the Bougainvillea Garden and the Leisure Valley to the MCC.
The MC will also take over the charge of primary health service which includes 18 sanctioned, three unsanctioned dispensaries. The transferred dispensaries will include those at Sectors 8, 11, 19, 20, 23, 26, 33, 35, 38, 40 and 42, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Civil Secretariat, Industrial Area, Kajheri, Maloya, Hallo Majra and Dadu Majra.
The three unsanctioned dispensaries that will be transferred to the civic body are the ones located at Sector 9, 17 and Mani Majra’s Modern Housing Complex.
Seven primary schools that will be transferred to the MC include those located at Sector 12, 26, Butrela, Mauli Complex, Railway Colony and two at Manimajra. 11 construction sites of primary schools will also come under the MCC.
The MC will also take the responsibility of nearly 1,600 small parks, 43 green belts and over 30 big gardens in the city.
