Proposals for new community centres in southern sectors stuck in official files

The Over 25 community centres in the city have not been able to meet the demand for quite some time. Over 10 new community centres were proposed in various sectors, but construction work for them is yet to begin. Besides, repair of the old ones has been painfully slow.

These community centres hit roadblocks like non-approval of sites, building plans not being cleared by the Architecture department and lack of contractors.

The new community centres were primarily proposed for the southern sectors and some villages.

Councillor Ravinder Pal Singh says he had identified a site in Sector 46 for a community centre. “I informed the Chief Architect about it, but I was told that construction for some other building has to take place there. Construction for a community centre has been pending for two-and-a-half years now. They can’t identify a site,” he says.

There have been cases where sites were identified but the building plans were not approved by the Architecture department for ‘faulty’ designs.

“A community centre was approved for Sector 49 and it was decided that a swimming pool would be built in it. But due to this proposal, progress has been stuck,” councillor Ram Sumer Morya says. “It has been a long wait for a community centre in my ward. Residents do not have any place in the neighbourhood where functions can be held at a reasonable cost.”

Satish Sharma, general secretary of the Chandigarh Social Welfare Council, says around two years ago they were assured that new community centres would be built in the southern sectors, “but nothing has been done”.

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