MC to get teeth but councillors eye other depts

Municipal councillors have a varied opinion pertaining to the transfer of functions from the Chandigarh Administration to the corporation. While some are of the view that functions should be transferred without any delay, others feel that additional responsibilities should be given in a phased manner.

Under the 74th Amendment of the Constitution, certain functions will be transferred to the civic body. The issue will come up for discussion in the House Meet on Friday.

Councillor Dr A P Sanwaria is of the opinion that functions should be transferred to the Municipal Corporation in a phased manner.

“The roadmap for the transfer should be chalked out instead of taking over the functions in one go. The responsibility such as primary health and primary education require technical expertise. Our past experience with these departments is not so good. Many of the projects of the civic body have either failed to take off or the progress has not been favourable. In case of a function like primary education, the future of children is at stake and careful planning is required,” he says.

The councillors have also been demanding that apart from the functions that are proposed to be transferred, others like Social Work and Food and Supplies department also need to be handed over to the MC. The demand for transfer of some revenue-earning departments is also there.

Councillor Pardeep Chhabra said, “Details about the transfer of functions would be worked out in the House Meet. New posts need to be created by the civic body. It is a big achievement that after taking up the issue for the past many years, these functions are being transferred to us.” 

Six-month transition phase for UT employees

Mayor Anu Chatrath said the Administration has sent a formal communication to the Municipal Corporation about the proposed transfer of functions. The Administration has proposed to transfer the departments, along with employees, for a period of six months during the transition phase. In the meantime, the Administration would assess its own manpower to see how many of its employees would be adjusted against the vacant posts in the Administration and how many more would be required.

What Admn will give MC
* All V-3 roads
* All parks and green belts not transferred earlier
* Existing civil dispensaries of the Health departments, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Civil Secretariat, Industrial Area, Hallomajra, Kajheri, Maloya, Dadumajra, Manimajra Housing Complex, UT Secretariat and District Courts in Sector 17.
* Primary healthcare facilities to be extended by MC in Sectors 18, 25, 21, 30, 31, 38 (W) and Sectors 48 to 63.
* Polyclinics in Sector 49, Ayush Hospital in Maloya and another 100-bed maternity hospital in Maloya
* Existing government primary schools in Sector 12, 26, Buterla, Mauli Complex, Railway Colony and Manimajra

* Primary schools at 11 sites identified by the Chandigarh Housing Board