₹170cr taken from builders, but infra not upgraded yet
MOHALI : Despite collecting ₹170 crore as development charges from builders, the Zirakpur municipal council (MC) has failed to upgrade the city’s infrastructure. As choked drains, missing streetlights and damaged roads remain a problem, the MC has yet to come out with a workable plan to utilise the money it has collected from builders as external (EDC) and internal development charges (IDC).
Sandeep Tewari, MC executive officer, said around ₹170 crore had been collected, “of which we have ₹100 crore as fixed deposit and ₹70 crore in bank account.” On upgrading infrastructure, he said there were problems with the designs of drainage and stormwater pipes, which resulted in waterlogging. “The roads have not been levelled property. I don’t want to spend money on laying tiles or paver blocks and will make sure that the drainage problem is sorted out,” Tewari added. He also said the MC would ensure there were no such design flaws.
Zirakpur has around 100 group housing societies and 40 commercial establishments. MC collects ₹1crore as EDC and IDC charges from residential group housing societies and ₹1.35 crore from commercial societies.
It’s the MC’s duty to ensure that money is spent on building and repair of roads, streetlights, sewerage and drainage system and beautification of the area.
DETAILED REPORT TO BE SUBMITTED
Commenting on the matter, Brahm Mohindra, minister of Punjab local bodies, said, “We plan to provide the best possible infrastructure to Zirakpur as it is a gateway to our state. I have already asked the officer concerned to submit a detailed report about all the shortcomings in infrastructure and we will do what is required.”
Zirakpur is an island of chaos surrounded by the planned cities of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. Growth in the town has been haphazard from the word go, with villages giving way to colonies, mostly illegal, and property dealers and realtors tapping into the need for modest housing for those less privileged.
After more than a decade of unplanned development, the city finally got a master plan in 2009. But before it could be implemented, the town’s population exploded by 282% between 2001 and 2011. According to officials, there are 59 illegal colonies within MC limits even though numbers could be much higher.