Views sought regarding 24/7 stores
The Chandigarh Administration has sought views of traders on a proposal to allow shops to remain open round the clock. If the administration gets a good response, then one can make purchases at any time of the day or night. Presently, under the Shops and Establishment Act, shops are allowed to stay open till 8 pm. The administration has already allowed shops at petrol pumps to remain open 24/7. In a recent meeting, a majority of officers gave green signal to the proposal, only police officers have raised security concerns.
13 villages merged under municipal body
The Chandigarh Administration has agreed to the merger of all 13 villages that fall under the it’s jurisdiction with the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh (MCC). The administration took this decision after discussions with the elected representatives of these villages, who gave approval and consensus for better development of their regions. The Thirteen villages with a population of 50,135 which are to be merged with the corporation are Bahlana, Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra, Daria, Mauli Jagran, Kishangarh, Kaimbwala, Khuda Ali Sher, Khuda Jassu, Khuda Lahora, Sarangpur and Dhanas. With the merger, the number of wards under the MCC will increase from the present 26 to 33. Already, nine of the total 22 villages in Chandigarh are under the MCC’s limits.
Wireless panic buttons on trial
Panchkula has installed wireless panic buttons on a trial basis for a month at bus shelters and other public places for the use of residents. The Municipal Corporation is carrying out the trial of this panic button. This system is directly connected to police, fire and ambulance control rooms. It sends real time alerts and notifications to security personnel with a dedicated live dashboard that not only reports the live locations but also calculates the response time taken by the control room team to respond.
More parking for the festival
The Chandigarh Directorate of Higher Education has opened parking spaces in 27 schools and colleges till November 9. An order was issued stating that the Education Department would not be responsible for any loss or damage to the parked vehicles and the public should not use playgrounds of these educational institutions for parking. It further stated that the SP (Traffic and Security) would have to provide security in each school or college to be used for parking.
Collector rates up in Panchkula area
The Panchkula Administration has decided to hike collector rates on stamp duty on commercial and residential properties from 9 to 15 per cent. The new rates are likely to be applicable from next week. Though the stamp duty on plots is 7 per cent, people would have to shell out J28,000 more for the four-marla plots and J1.47 lakh for the plots measuring one kanal for registration. These rates have also been increased in society flats in sectors that fall in Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) area.
Our correspondent in Chandigarh hsbajwa73@gmail.com