Ready to splurge Rs 1 cr on costly plants,MC shirks paying dues to PMCs

Although the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation will spend Rs 1 crore on its much-hyped green drive across the city...

Although the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation will spend Rs 1 crore on its much-hyped green drive across the city,the authorities are not ready to make payments to more than 530 park management committees (PMCs) who have taken upon themselves the task to maintain greenery in the city.

The MC authorities have not made any payments to the PMCs for the past three months. Earlier,they had introduced a new clause which made it mandatory to get the approval of three councillors including the area councillor if a PMC had to get its dues. The move was opposed by PMCs as it involved a lot of leg work. Though the decision has been reversed as per the assistant commissioner Vinod Sharda’s version in the recently held finance and contract committee meeting,so far no formal announcement has been made in this regard.

PMCs are paid at the rate of Re 1 square metre and different PMCs are paid in the range of Rs 116 to Rs 5,000 per month depending upon the size of the parks.

S S Chana,President of Park management Committees Federation,said,”Most of the senior citizens or the women in the area are maintaining these parks. We all are helping the MC in maintaining the environment. Instead of appreciating our efforts,we are being harassed. Our members have made rounds of MC offices in the last three months but our problems continue to nag us. Even if they have reversed the decision,they should convey the same to the PMCs. Till date we are in the dark as no directions have been passed to the MC officials regarding the payments.”

Despite the delay in payments,most of the PMCs are maintaining the parks with full zeal by contributing from their own pocket.

In Sarabha Nagar B-block,a PMC got funds worth Rs 1 lakh from industrialist Rakesh Bharti Mittal with which they added rest huts with water proof covers in the park and foot lights. A background music system has also been fixed which is played when the walkers come in morning or evening. Area councillor Amrit Varsha Rampal said,”If this park is compared with the Leisure Valley,the contractor of valley would feel ashamed. The MC Commissioner should see the efforts of the area residents and still their payments are pending.”

In Dugri and Model Town,a few PMCs have hired landscapists to add beauty to their parks. A number of residents in Model Town and BRS Nagar apart from planting seasonal plants,have also planted medicinal plants so that area residents can also reap some benefits.

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Assistant Commissioner Sharda,though maintained that the payments would be made when the PMCs will present the bills,but he was not aware that bills were lying pending in the MC office. The committee members,meanwhile,have asked Commissioner G S Ghuman to expedite the payments else a number of park management committees may lose interest in maintaining parks.

The decision of payment at the rate of Re 1 per square metre was implemented in March last year when the federation President S S Chana had moved court. Earlier,the PMCs were getting 50 paise per square metre but 36 PMCs kept on maintaining the parks from their own pocket.

Projection is what matters
In the plantation drive of MC,authorities are planting foxtail palm each costing Rs 1,200 on the Ferozepur Road and Chandigarh Road because VIPs frequent these roads. The PMC members say that when MC can spend so much of money to please VIPs,why their payments cannot be made in time.

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