Authorities gear up for Navratra fair
To facilitate the smooth movement of devotees and avoid stampede-like situations during the nine day Navratra fair at the Mansa Devi Temple in Panchkula, the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, the board that administers the temple’s operations, has decided to construct a double corridor between the old temple and the Patiala Temple at a cost of D3 crore. Stainless steel grills would be used for separation while LED lights would provide illumination. A total of 32 additional CCTV cameras have been installed in and around the temple’s premises to ensure security. The board has also decided to set up a park on a drain passing through the area at a cost of D2.5 crore.
Flat lease-holders to become owners
The Chandigarh Administration has decided that from October 20, flats in around 80 housing societies, that had been leased to residents for a period of 99 years, will now be registered in their names allowing them to further sell the flats. There are more than 15,000 such flats in 115 societies in sectors 48, 49, 50 and 51. These societies were built about two decades ago. While flats in 35 of them went on sale, the others were leased out. In 2006, the administration had decided to bring the move to allow lease-holders to become owners however, in 2012, following several irregularities, the move was banned. The societies will have to get the land transferred in their name by executing a deed of conveyance and paying the prescribed stamp duty.
Police crackdown on driving on cycle tracks
Driving on a cycle track in the city can get you arrested. The Chandigarh police has arrested more than 72 persons so far. The Traffic Police department had recently launched a special drive to crack down on motorists plying on cycle tracks and footpaths in the city following orders from the Punjab and
Haryana High Court. The department is also running a campaign on social media, warning people not to drive on cycle tracks. The department is also launching an awareness campaign next week to promote the use of cycle tracks among cyclists.
Fourth on per capita income in the country
The per capita income in Chandigarh was recorded at D2,37,616 for the year, an increase of around D15,000 from the last year. Chandigarh stands fourth in the country behind Goa, Delhi and Sikkim, according to figures released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. It was also placed fourth in per capita income for the year 2015-16. Before 2008, the city’s per capita income was the highest in the country. The city’s economy is divided into 14 sub-sectors. The primary sector which comprises items such as agriculture, livestock and forestry contributed little to the city’s economy, which primarily depends on the service sector.