Chandigarh diary: Rose festival, naming and shaming power defaulters, online system for RLA

Helicopter rides at Rose Festival

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has decided to hold helicopter rides yet again for the second consecutive year at the Rose Festival from February 23 to 25. The civic body has issued an expression of interest after which the rates will be finalised for the rides. The rate would be slightly higher than that of the last year. This time these rides would be held at the Sector 17 parade ground, unlike at the Rose Festival last year.  The annual Rose Festival has different competitions and musical nights. There are 829 varieties of roses at the garden sprawling across 40 acre with 1,400 flower beds and nearly 40,000 plants.

Naming and shaming power defaulters

The Chandigarh electricity department has decided to upload the list of the defaulters on it’s official website to name and shame them in public.  It has finalised the list of 250 defaulters that includes government departments, industries and companies who owed the department more than H 1 lakh as unpaid electricity charges. Most of these departments are under the domain of Punjab and Haryana governments.  The defaulters owned the electricity department Rs 10 crore last year, while the figure is H 7
crore this year.

More accountability in govt working

The Ministry of Home  Affairs has extended the Punjab  Right to Service Act to Chandigarh for ensuring speedy work and for bringing more transparency and credibility in the government departments. The people will get hassle-free, corruption-free and time-bound service delivery from government offices. Besides fixing the time frame for the delivery of all services, the administration will have to nominate the first appellate authority and the second appellate authority to decide appeals against delays in provisioning of service. All departments will list out the services offered by them with a timeline.  The Punjab Government has brought over 250 services under the ambit of the  Act.

Power bills may rise for PG  rooms

The Chandigarh Electricity Department has proposed to bring paying guest accommodations in the city under the ambit of commercial rates.  The department had sent the proposal to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for approval. If the proposal is cleared, the paying guests registered with the administration will be charged under the non-resident category.

Online system to be introduced

From February 8 onwards, an appointment at the office of the Registering and Licensing Authority in Sector 17 will be made online. No files will be accepted at the counters without a prior online appointment. This new system will be applicable for all the services related to registration of vehicles and issuance of driving licenses. Six counters will be opened for issuing driving licenses and five for registration certificates.

Harpreet Bajwa

Our correspondent in Chandigarh

hsbajwa73@gmail.com