CHANDIGARH

CHANDIGARH

Area: 114 sq km
Population : 9,00,635
Capital : Chandigarh
Languages : Hindi, Punjabi, English

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

Chandigarh is a fully grown town of most modern architectural splendour. The city nestles in a picturesque setting in the foothills of Shivalik hills and enjoys the popular epithet the "City Beautiful". Representative of modern architecture and town planning, the city is a creation of the French Architect, Le Corbusier. Chandigarh and the area surrounding it were constituted as a Union Territory on 1 November 1966. It serves as the joint capital of both Punjab and Haryana States. It is bound on North and West by Punjab and on the East and South by Haryana.

ADMINISTRATION

Chandigarh Administration is moving on four broad fronts. First, it is our aim to provide, with the help of information technology, an accessible and transparent administration. We were among the earliest to implement the provisions of the Right to Information Act. A number of services, for which citizens earlier had to go to government offices, are now available on computer and mobile phones. All rules are being reviewed to see what simplification can be carried out to make them user- friendly. The purpose is to minimise the exercise of discretion, and minimise the leg work of the citizen in dealing with the Administration. Secondly, the Administration is working towards a higher rate of economic growth by encouraging economic activities which provide greater value addition, such as knowledge based industries, high-end commercial activity, etc., Chandigarh already has the highest per capita income in the country.
Thirdly, the Administration is seeking  to provide infrastructural services such as electricity supply, water supply, health and educational services and public transport which should compare with those in advanced countries. It will take time, but we believe that our ambitions can be achieved in the medium term. Fourthly, the Administration is all too conscious of the fact that the benefits of development do not reach everyone equally. Hence there is a special emphasis on
reaching out to those whom development has by-passed.

TRANSPORT

Chandigarh Administration comprehending the need for a user friendly transport system has decided to launch a Mass Rapid Trnsport System shortly. The UT Administration and the State Governments of Punjab and Haryana have come together for the implementation of the project.
Administration will soon introduce Air Conditioned and Double Decker buses. 85 buses were purchased and put on routes during the year 2007-08. CTU has computerized 70 per cent of its working and is in the process of further computerization. The Undetaking is also in the process of installing a Global Positioning System to monitor its fleet in a phased manner. The first phase of the ISBT Sector 43 has already started functioning and the second phase is scheduled for completion later this year.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

In order to sensitize the poor and weaker sections of the society about the rights and different benefits being extended to them by the State Legal Services Authority, 14 legal awareness seminars have already been organized in different villages of the UT. Cement concrete paving and underground drains in village Kajheri and Palsora have been completed. 70 per cent work in village Mauli Jagran has been completed. 

SPORTS

The Administration has opened a Girls Hockey Academy in sector-18 and would shortly start two more girls academies — one for Cricket and another for Football. The Administration successfully organized a One-day International Cricket match between India and Australia on October 8, 2007 by upgrading the Cricket Stadium of Sectot-16. Various facilities of international standards and latest ground equipments have been added. A new athletic-cum-Football stadium would be built with all state- of -art-facilities in Sector 56 with a seating capacity of 40,000 spectators, the process for which has already started. Indoor provisions for Basket Ball, Volley Ball, Judo and wrestling will also be provided in this stadium.
In the year 2007, the Chandigarh Sports Council had set up two more new in- house Academies, in Hockey and Cricket to churn out high class first rate players from the UT. All facilities including board and lodging, education, diet, sport gear etc. are being provided free-of-cost to the trainees in the academies. 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Construction work of Chandigarh Administration's visionary project Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park (RGCTP) is in its full swing. Completion of Phase III will provide direct employment to 35000 professionals, thereby increasing the direct employment of RGCTP to 67,000 and would create 2,00,000 indirect jobs in Chandigarh. The Entrepreneur Development Centre at the RGCTP is being set up over an area of 1.5 acres approximately. The centre would become operational this year.

Chandigarh has become a role model in using information technology to provide fast and user friendly services for the masses. Under the E-Governance initiatives of the Department, seven more Gram Sampark Centres have been set up in the villages of Dhanas, Khudda Jassu, Kaimbwala, Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra and Bahlana in 2007. As many as seven more Gram Sampark Centres in villages Palsora, Dadu Majra, Hallo Majra, Khuda Alisher, Daria, Mauli Jagran and Maloya have been made operative. In addition to the existing Centres some more Sampark Centres have been proposed and new services like payment of BSNL bills, power bills, water bills, payment of LIC premium, school fees collection and tubewell booking, especially for rural citizens , has also been incorporated or are being afoot. The Administration is working on energy conservation. A Work order has ben issued to the Tata BP Solar Ltd. for commissioning the State Level Energy Park at the Botanical Garden. Under the Solar Lighting initiative, all street lights in the villages would be replaced with solar based street lights.

SOCIAL WELFARE

Social Welfare has been a major focus of the Administration. Many people-friendly and innovative schemes for them have been launched by Administration. To wipe away the menace of casteism and encourage the people for inter-caste marriage, a sum of Rs. 5,000 is granted to the married couples provided that one of the spouses belongs to SC Community. The Administration has enhanced the amount to Rs. 50,000. Under the Balika Samridhi Yojana, A sum of Rs. 500 is being given to the newly born girl child in the BPL families. The Chandigarh Administration has decided to set up a Preparatory School for Children with Special Needs (for 50 children) which will run in the premises of PRAYAS Building, Sector 38. An outlay of about Rs. 14 lakh has been proposed in the Annual Plan 2008-09 for purchase of equipments and other contingent expenditure. The Vocational Training Centre for Street Children in Maloya with the capacity to provide training for 900 children is under construction. The Administration has set up a child help line. 

HEALTH

Telemedicine Project has been launched with state-of-art facilities at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh aiming to help needy patients to avail the expert advice of the doctors of specialized fields in PGI and ensuring them high-quality medical services.
The Government Multi Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16 has been upgraded by adding a Trauma Unit having 28 beds with Emergency Operation Theaters.
The Administration has launched the project for improving the Monitorable Indicators of Reproductive and Child Health in UT at a cost of Rs. 5,273 per mother and her child. Seven more "State of the art" operation theatres including pre-anesthesia, post- anesthesia rooms and a post opertive ward has been commissioned in Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. "SAMARTH" a residential house for mentally retarded individuals had also been set up in Sector 15, Chandigarh. A huge total of around 5.6 crore has been sanctioned for the Residential Accommodation of the eligible faculty staff of GMCH. 

INDUSTRIES

The Administration is developing the Phase-III of the Industrial Area at the revenue estate of village Mauli Jagran. 152 acres of land have been acquired. After a gap of 17 years, Chandigarh was awarded Silver Medal amongst all UTs for its excellent display at the recently held India International Trade Fair, 2007, New Delhi. 

EDUCATION

Chandigarh Administration is coming up with its World Class Project, the multi institutional 'Chandigarh Education City' at Sarangpur with a total area of 130 acres. Administration has enhanced the attendance scholarship being given to girl students of general category from Rs. 30 per month to Rs. 250 per month for a period for Class 1st to 5th. For ensuring enrolment and education among schedule caste boys and girls, Administration has also decided to increase the attendance schlorship being given to the Scheduled Castes students studying in Class 1st to 8th from Rs. 30 per month to Rs. 250 per month in the age group of 6 to 14 years. It has been decided to increase the scholarship to the meritorious SC/ST students of Class 9th to 12th; it has been now increased to Rs. 300 per month whereas it was Rs. 20/- and 25/- earlier. Chandigarh Administration has also decided to exempt the tution fees of Muslims, Christians, Other Backward Classes, Handicapped, Ward of Freedom Fighters, Ex-serviceman, widows and divorcees having family income below Rs. 1.5 lakh per year.For the children belonging to low income groups and slum based families, it has decided to give incentive of Rs. 250 per month to rope in the children presently not enrolled in any school on their fresh enrolment.

TOURISM

Administration has taken many innovative and novel measures like Wedding Tourism.With the focus on extending efficient medical, educational and entertainment oriented facilities, Administration is promoting Cinematic Tourism, Sports Tourism and Medical Tourism in a big way. Chandigarh International Airport will prove to be a big leap for Tourism in the region.

HOUSING

Chandigarh Housing Board is working on various projects. CHB being a Nodal agency for the implementation of the 'Chandigarh Small Flats Scheme-2006' has during the year finalized the process for implementation of the construction of 25,728 One Room Tenement under the scheme in two phases. Construction of 1024 Flats in Sector 49 and 1120 Flats in Sector 38 (West) under the scheme has already commenced. Similarly, construction at the remaining six locations will commence in due course of time. The Board during the year, has completed construction of 326 Prefab Shelters in Sector-56 for allotment to rag pickers of the City. Construction of 400 EWS houses in Sector-49 & 288 EWS houses in Sector-38 (W) under the scheme is in progress and is likely to be completed by February, 2009.
A special self-financing Housing Scheme has ben launched by the Board for allotment of Dwelling Units to the employees of the Administration which will be constructed over 45.5 acres of land in Sectors-52 and 56. Reservation of 5 per cent in favour of employees retiring within three years and those who have retired in the last three years has been kept in the scheme. Reservation of 3% for physically challenged persons has also ben made. As a step towards utilization of land vacated by Slum Dwellers in Sector-26 (East) Madrasi Colony, CHB has commenced construction of 160 EWS houses in the area. The work is likely to be completed by March, 2009. The construction of 256 one bedroom and 208 two-bedroom flats are in progress and are likely to be completed by June, 2008. The construction of 400 EWS and 288 EWS are likely to be completed by March, 2009.

POWER

Provisions of sufficient electricity to all the residents of UT is also getting attention of the Administration. To improve the voltage profile and to reduce the load on the power distribution network of UT, the Electricity Wing had planned to add 80 MVAR Automatic Capacitor Banks at various existing 66KV Grid Sub-Station located at different points in the periphery of UT. Use of CFL has been made mandatory inside all government buildings. Similarly, all institutional buildings will have to provide solar lighting in their parking spaces within their complexes. The Electricity Wing also achieved its target in reduction of transmission & distribution losses from 20.89% to 19.29%. The reduction is around 1.5%. Every effort is being made to reduce the losses further in the next year by another 1.5%. 

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has upgraded the Sewage Treatment Plant at Diggian at a cost of Rs. 28 crore. MC also bagged the 1st prize both in water supply and sewage/drainage services from the Government of India, which was awarded by the Prime Minister of India. A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System has been installed at a cost of Rs. 700 crore to keep surveillance and monitor the water supply. It will save power consumption, reduce operation and maintenance cost by approximately Rs. 3 crore annually. To save portable water & provide additional water for landscaping, a project amounting to Rs. 36 crores has been taken up. This project will generate 10 MGD tertiary water. The existing Dhobi Ghat of Sector 15 has been converted into Automatic Laundry Marts, The first of its kind in India.
Adding another milestone to up-gradation of the environment in City Beautiful, The Municipal Corporation has set up a Solid Waste Processing Plant at Dadu Majra at a cost of Rs. 30.00 crores on 10 acres. The plant is one of its kinds in northern India. 

GOVERNMENT

Administrator : General (Retd.) S.F.Rodrigues
Adviser to the Administrator : Lalit Sharma
Jurisdiction of High Court : Falls under jurisdiction of Punjab and Haryana