Discount on plastic-free events
The Panchkula Municipal Corporation has decided to offer 25 per cent discount on rent to those holding plastic-free events at community centres. Under this scheme, anybody organising marriage parties or other events where they will not use of single-use plastic will be offered the exciting discount on the rent. An audit will be conducted by civic officials who will verify non-use of plastic and the party will submit photo as well as video evidence to claim the discount.
Acting tough on snatchers
Snatching has become a non-bail able offence in Chandigarh as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the remaining part of an anti-snatching law to the city. At present, the maximum sentence is of only three years. In a Dec 16 notification, the Union home ministry has extended the CrPC (Haryana Amendment) Act, 2014, to the city. Earlier extending the Act on May 29, the MHA had extended only one part of the act (Haryana Amendment) Act, 2014. By adding Clauses 379A and 379B, the government officially defined snatching as a non-bailable crime. The trials in snatching cases will now be conducted in the sessions courts, instead of judicial magistrate courts as the jail term is higher from now on.
Waste collection
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation will start a new waste collection system in the city from March 1 wherein 300 CNG-powered vehicles will collect the waste from door to door. Each vehicle of the corporation will cater to 800 households daily. As many as 2.15 lakh households will be covered by garbage collectors. Each vehicle will cost C6 lakh plus recurring maintenance cost. For 300 vehicles, Rs 18 crore will be incurred by the civic body. Residents will now have to pay user charges, which will be collected by the civic body either through water bills or property tax bills.
Property tax imposed
The UT administration has ordered the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to impose property tax in 13 villages merged with the civic body in 2018. This is the second time that the administration had to use special power to impose tax. The Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator VP Singh Badnore issued the order exercising the powers conferred under Sub-Section (5) of Section 90 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, as extended to Chandigarh under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994.