Creches at offices mandatory
The Chandigarh administration has made it mandatory for all establishments housing 50 or more employees to provide crèches. It invited suggestions from the public before issuing a draft notification in this regard. According to the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Rules, 2019, “Every establishment having 50 or more employees shall have a creche facility within such distance as may be prescribed, either separately or along with common facilities.”
Power relief for residents
In a big relief to city residents, the Chandigarh Electricity Department has decided to levy the average bill for only three months in the event of defective or burnt meters. As per the new supply code notified recently by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission, in the event of a defective/stuck/ stopped/burnt meter, the consumer shall be billed on the basis of the monthly consumption of the corresponding month of the previous year and the average monthly consumption of the immediate preceding three months. These charges will be levied for a maximum period of three months during which time the department is expected to replace the defective meter.
City vendors have poor food hygiene
A study commissioned by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research has found that 90% vendors in the city don’t wash their hands with soap and 80% have poor food hygiene. As many as 400 people were checked during a survey and 80% of the vendors were found to have long nails and hair. Most were found accepting money with the same hand with which they were cooking. They were also found not to be using gloves, caps or aprons. Even those found washing their hands weren’t using soap.
Nod to bike taxis
The Chandigarh administration has given its nod to plying of bike taxis in the city. The State Transport Authority (STA) has been asked to frame a policy, so that the service can be introduced within a month. The taxi typically carries one passenger, who rides pillion behind the biker. In September 2017, STA prepared a draft policy for allowing bike taxis in Chandigarh, but after two meetings, the proposal was shelved. In June 2018, STA had sent another proposal to the administration after the Punjab government moved a plea.