Chandigarh, October 14
Member of Parliament from Chandigarh and former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tewari, while inaugurating a very expansive CCTV project in Sector-19 to ensure the safety and security of the residents, demanded that the Chandigarh administration must immediately take a call on the five legacy issues of Chandigarh, which have been pending for the past over 25 years.
Tewari said that he has been repeatedly raising the issue of the erroneous ban on share-wise sale of property. He demanded resolution of the issue of ownership rights to people living in relief and rehabilitation colonies, while adding, “Need-based changes should be allowed in Chandigarh Housing Board dwellings and apartments.” He also demanded erasing the Lal Dora around the 22 villages of Chandigarh and resolving the long-pending demands of people living in cooperative group housing societies and other group housing societies.
Tewari told the assembled gathering of very eminent and august citizens that it was because of his persistent efforts in Parliament and through parliamentary standing committees and pursuance with the Governor of Punjab as well as the Chandigarh administration that the Home Ministry had called for the views of the Chandigarh administration on all these five pending issues. “However, even after that, they have been, dragging their feet on all these issues without providing any relief to the people of Chandigarh,” he said.
Tewari strongly emphasized that under all circumstances, the issue of providing ownership rights to people living in relief and rehabilitation colonies must be given priority, as there has been significant movement on this issue because of his persistent pursuit of the matter.
Tewari said that in light of this, the Chandigarh administration needs to shake off its lethargy and inertia and start working for the people of Chandigarh by finding constructive and positive solutions at the earliest to these issues, which have made the lives of the residents of Chandigarh miserable.
Tewari questioned that what is the point of having such a huge bureaucratic structure and infrastructure if even very simple and basic issues cannot be resolved? “Chandigarh has almost one IAS or IPS officer per 70,000 of population but the delivery of governance to the ordinary citizens is abysmal, while the neighbouring districts of Mohali and Panchkula, which are only run by one SSP and one Deputy Commissioner, actually deliver better governance and services to the people,” concluded Tewari.
