Foswac meet highlights challenges in UT

Chandigarh: The executive committee meeting of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (Foswac) was held at the People Convention Centre in Sector 36 on Sunday. The meeting was chaired by Baljinder Singh Bittu, and 59 members of the federation attended. A two-minute silence was observed to pay tribute to late former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh.
While addressing the gathering, Baljinder Singh Bittu said that the functioning of the municipal corporation is completely jeopardised due to the financial crunch. All development works are at a standstill due to the lack of funds. Even the administrator and the Chandigarh administration have left Chandigarh in the lurch. The funds available are mismanaged on wasteful expenditure. He said that the smart city is only on paper to fetch money meant for the corporation.
The administration should issue a white paper regarding the availability of funds and their usage for the UT of Chandigarh, he said. He appealed to the administrator to let Chandigarh remain a beautiful city; there is no need for a smart city, which performs on the basis of online feedback rather than actual work.
He further said that Chandigarh is fast becoming a ‘beggar city', as can be seen at all traffic light intersections. The parking problem in markets is a matter of concern for all residents of Chandigarh, who, even after paying a parking fee, do not get any space to park.
Simmi Sandhu, president of the resident welfare association Sector 27, said that the security issue regarding senior citizens in their sector is a matter of concern as anti-social elements keep frequenting their area. She was very critical of the way the MC is dealing with the dog menace, as the residents always remain under threat of dog bites as they go out of their houses.
Harinderjit Singh, president of RWA Sector 18, said that the traffic congestion in the area is continuously troubling the residents living nearby. There is an urgent need to depute permanent traffic police officials to regulate traffic during school hours.
The representative of RWA Sector 34 said that their sector residents are facing great difficulty due to high congestion, as grounds in 34-B are allotted for melas, where high-volume sounds flout all norms. The high-speed vehicles driven in their sector should be checked by the traffic police.
Pardeep Chopra, secretary of the citizens' association Sector 21, said that Chandigarh has become ‘Pharigarh' as the encroachments in public areas remain unchecked. The nexus between unauthorised vendors and MC officials is causing great hardship for the residents. KL Aggarwal, president of RWA Sector 13, Manimajra Housing Complex, said that tree pruning is not done by the horticulture department. The overgrown trees, up to 100 feet high, are a hazard for the residents. It seems that the department is waiting for some unfortunate event to happen.