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Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Chandigarh MC okays e-auction of unipole ad sites, high-rises in pocket no. 6 in Manimajra
Facing a financial crunch, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) Monday passed two key revenue-generation proposals during its House meeting on Monday — the first major resolution approved was the e-auction of unipole advertisement sites, while the second supplementary proposal involved allowing high-rise group housing projects in pocket no. 6 in Manimajra for residential purposes. E-auction of unipole ad sites approved In a significant move to enhance revenue streams, the MC approved the e-auction of 75 advertisement sites, primarily unipoles. The sites have been divided into three zones with 25 panels each. The tender for the auction is expected to be issued soon. The corporation anticipates to generate Rs 12 crore annually from these sites, with a provision for a 10 per cent yearly increment in the contract. These 75 sites comprise 53 new locations and 22 existing ones approved by the UT Urban Planning Department. Strategically located along commercial roadsides, the sites were recommended by the Chief Architect of the Urban Planning Department. The councillors welcomed this initiative as a progressive step toward modernising the city's advertising infrastructure. Green light to high-rise group housing projects in Manimajra The House also cleared a proposal for developing Manimajra as a hub for high-rise group housing projects. The Chandigarh Administration has already approved the layout and zoning plans, allowing construction up to five storeys with a floor area ratio (FAR). This project aims to tackle the city's housing shortage and accommodate its growing population. Plot 6 in Manimajra, Chandigarh, is a 6.9-acre area designated for residential development under the Chandigarh Master Plan. The Municipal Corporation (MC) is considering auctioning this land, with a reserve price of Rs 300 crore, expecting to generate at least Rs 500 crore. The MC is considering various options for these developments, including auctioning the land or partnering with public sector companies like NBCC. GIS-based sweeping proposal deferred again The proposal for GIS-based mechanised manual sweeping in southern sectors was once again deferred following objections from councillors. During the meeting, former mayor Anup Gupta announced the formation of a committee comprising councillors from all parties and nominated members. The Sanitation Committee chairman will be a special invitee. Recommendations from this committee will be presented along with the proposal in the next House meeting. Meanwhile, Lions Services, the company currently handling sweeping operations, has been given a three-month extension, as its contract ended on Monday. New horticulture waste processing plant proposal declared invalid A proposal to set up a new 60-tonne-per-day horticulture waste processing plant was also brought before the House but could not gain consensus. A heated exchange occurred between ex-mayor Anup Gupta and senior officials, including the Commissioner and Chief Engineer. As consensus remained elusive, the Commissioner declared the proposal invalid. Controversy over booking rates and job cuts Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi lashed at the Mayor in the House meeting over proposed hike in tube well operator removals and community centre booking rates. Gabi criticised the mayor over the sharp hike in community centre booking rates and the looming unemployment crisis among tube well operators. Speaking on the meeting minutes, councillor Gabi said, 'Madam Mayor, during your tenure, unemployment has started looming over 1,900 people in the last two months.' Gabi pointed out that the House had previously passed a resolution stating that the 664 existing tube well operators employed by the corporation would not be removed. 'So then how was a new tender allotted?' he questioned, adding that these 664 individuals now face unemployment. Gabi highlighted that the tender of Lions Company is about to expire, and a new tender is soon to be allotted. 'There are 1,200 employees working in that company, and no provision has been made for them in the new tender. They too will be rendered jobless,' he said. Addressing the Mayor directly, Gabi asked, 'What exactly are you doing? When the House had unanimously passed a resolution to accommodate these people, then how was a new tender issued?' He expressed frustration, questioning whether House meetings are simply meant to serve councillors food and tea before sending them home. 'If this is the purpose of House meetings,' Gabi declared, 'then I will never eat at any House meeting again.' He added, 'Madam Mayor, you will go down in history as the Mayor who took away people's jobs.' In response, the Commissioner clarified that no staff would be removed until a new tender is finalised. 'Put chili in their eyes and rob them blind' Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi also lashed out at the steep increase in booking rates for community centres. He said, 'Without offering any additional facilities, you are simply raising the rates.' Expressing objection to the arbitrary hikes, he said, 'If you are going to loot people like this, then just go ahead and throw chili powder in their eyes and rob them outright.' Gabi handed over packets of chili powder he had brought with him to the mayor, sarcastically saying, 'Here, use this in the people's eyes.' The proposal to revise booking rates was brought for the third time but was deferred again following opposition from councillors.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: MC to invite fresh bids for horticulture waste plant
In yet another glaring example of mismanagement, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has decided to restart the allotment process for the city's much-needed horticulture waste plant — a project billed as 'urgent' but now mired in procedural lapses and political arguments. The matter will be placed before the Chandigarh MC House in its upcoming General House meeting on June 30 (Monday). (HT File) The decision to reinitiate the tendering comes months after former mayor and senior BJP leader Anup Gupta flagged alleged irregularities in awarding the construction contract of the new horticulture waste plant. The project, aimed at easing the city's mounting horticulture waste crisis, was originally approved in December last year, but has been stalled since January this year, further delaying critical infrastructure in a city already grappling with leaf litter piling up on its streets. The matter will be placed before the MC House in its upcoming General House meeting on June 30 (Monday), where officials will table a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP), detailing terms and conditions for re-tendering. Only after the proposal is cleared by the House will a new tender be floated — adding several more months of delay to a project that was supposed to be carried out in emergency mode. City under-equipped to process horticulture waste The city's existing facilities for processing horticulture waste are woefully under-equipped. Currently, MC operates composting pits at 104 sites within parks, handling only 32 tonnes per day (TPD) of mixed horticulture waste. Not just composting pits, MC has limited capacity in horticulture waste processing plants too, located in the Industrial Area, Phase 2. Processing around 12 TPD of pruned horticulture waste daily, which includes pruned branches and stems, the plant is running at full capacity, but is still far from meeting the city's overall waste disposal needs. To plug this gap, the MC had proposed a second plant — also in Industrial Area Phase 2 — with a capacity of 60 TPD and an estimated cost of ₹ 4 crore. The plant was to employ biofuel briquetting technology to convert waste into fuel bricks. However, the project has been overshadowed by controversy. Former mayor Anup Gupta had in May alleged that MC bypassed proper tendering procedures and unlawfully nominated M/s Hardicon Limited, a PSU, for the job without issuing any Expression of Interest (EOI) or Request for Proposal (RFP). In his formal letter to the commissioner, Gupta questioned whether due protocols under the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, CVC guidelines, and the Manual of Procurement of Works 2022 were followed — and is still awaiting a response. The allegations forced MC commissioner Amit Kumar to step in. He ordered an internal inquiry and assured the House that the agreement with the PSU would be scrapped if procedural lapses were confirmed. 'The agreement will be cancelled and a fresh tender floated,' he said, promising accountability. Ironically, the existing operator of the Phase 2 plant is billing the MC ₹ 3 lakh per month while delivering subpar waste processing. According to MC insiders, the public sector firm had offered to build and operate the new facility for free and even proposed profit-sharing on the sale of briquettes. 'Given the MC's weak financial standing, the offer seemed attractive,' an official said, defending the earlier move. 'However, to ensure 'transparency' and to placate elected councillors, the civic body is going back to square one. The fresh allotment process will ensure everyone is satisfied, but yes, it will delay the project by another few months,' the official admitted. MC to auction 7.5 acre in Manimajra The Chandigarh MC is preparing to auction more than 7.5 acre of land across five plots in Pocket Number 6 of Manimajra, paving the way for a multi-storey group housing society. The proposal, complete with detailed terms and conditions and several regulatory riders, will be tabled in the upcoming general house meeting for discussion and approval on Monday. The cumulative reserve price for the five plots crosses ₹ 794 crore, which can surely fill the empty coffers of the MC. As per the plan, the land can be allotted either jointly to a consortium or to a single developer. The MC has ruled out any scope for fragmentation or amalgamation of plots or buildings. The construction must strictly adhere to the zoning plan and dwelling units cannot be used for any purpose other than residential. As per terms and conditions, allottees will be liable for applicable taxes, GST, and fees imposed by the Centre, Chandigarh administration, or MC. Community facilities like libraries, creches, halls, and society offices must be used exclusively by residents—no commercial use will be allowed. No plot or building can be divided or merged without prior approval. Construction must strictly follow the approved zoning plan with no deviation in use.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Over 5k bodies give thumbs up to One Nation One Election
1 2 3 Lucknow: Groundswell for the BJP-backed One Nation One Election (ONOE) campaign may well be building up. Over 5,000 organisations, including local bodies, lent their support to the campaign, prompting the saffron outfit to step up its feedback-gaining exercise. UP BJP state general secretary and co-convener of the ONOE committee, Anup Gupta said that nearly 5,300 local bodies, including nagar panchayats, nagar palika parishads, nagar nigams, kshetra panchayats, gram panchayats and even cooperative societies, sent their letters of support to the President. "We also collected the copies of their support proposals. This clearly shows that the issue found significant resonance at the ground level," he told TOI on Thursday. Sources said that the BJP mobilised civil society, including NGOs and professionals, to give their feedback as part of an extensive outreach campaign aimed at building consensus for simultaneous elections across India. Early this year, the BJP launched a pan-India campaign to raise awareness about its ambitious plan for simultaneous elections and build broad public consensus around it. The advocacy, sources said, is essentially guided by a central BJP committee led by Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, with BJP general secretary Sunil Bansal as the national coordinator. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Panels have also been formed at the state level to take the message forward. The outreach focused on facilitating meetings on the need for ONOE with various sections of society, including academia, doctors, lawyers, traders, ex-servicemen, youth, women, farmers and sportspersons, as well as elected bodies like panchayats, nagar palikas and zila parishads. Deliverables of the campaign include pro-ONOE resolutions being passed by these bodies and organisations, all addressed to President Droupadi Murmu. A senior BJP functionary said that the campaign primarily aims to highlight its potential to reduce electoral expenditure and strengthen national unity. He stressed that the idea aligns with the Constitution's preamble, promoting a unified national identity. The BJP has been a vocal proponent of ONOE. Senior party functionaries have been arguing that frequent elections disrupt governance and development. Implementing ONOE could boost GDP by 1-1.5% by providing govts with more stable time for development work, the BJP stated. The opposition parties, including Congress, SP and BSP, however, have been vocal against the ONOE, believing that it would undermine the federal structure of the Indian Constitution and the states may lose autonomy. The BJP has been dismissing concerns that ONOE would harm regional parties, citing the historical precedent of simultaneous elections from 1951 to 1967.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh MC House clears tax hike for govt properties too
In a significant move, the BJP-led Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) House on Wednesday approved a proposal to extend the recently implemented property tax hike to government buildings, which had been exempted by the UT administration. The decision, however, still requires UT approval to come into effect. On March 31, the UT administration had approved a steep hike in property tax for residential and commercial properties starting April 1, but chose to exempt government-owned buildings from the increased rates. The decision sparked sharp criticism from city residents and opposition leaders alike, especially given that government buildings collectively owe a staggering ₹250 crore in unpaid property taxes, further straining the cash-strapped MC's finances. During Wednesday's meeting, former mayor Anup Gupta raised concerns about the fairness of UT's exemption. 'Why was the tax hike imposed solely on city residents while government buildings were exempted? Despite already enjoying a 25% annual rebate on service tax, many of these properties have defaulted on payments, resulting in a massive ₹250 crore in outstanding dues—a significant shortfall in MC's annual revenue,' Gupta said. He proposed that the same tax hike be imposed on government buildings to ensure fairness and boost the city's revenue, while also demanding that the House's decision of revoking the 25% rebate to government buildings be implemented at the earliest. Gupta's proposal was unanimously supported by BJP councillors, who then proceeded to approve the increased tax rates for government buildings, similar to those imposed on residential and commercial properties. MC's decision, however, will need UT administration's approval, as is the norm. Notably, over 650 government buildings—including those belonging to the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and central governments—are on the tax defaulters' list, along with institutions under the Chandigarh administration itself. Autonomous institutes like the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Panjab University (PU) and Punjab Engineering College (PEC) alone owe ₹123.13 crore. As part of its recovery strategy, MC has already issued property attachment notices to three institutions and has asked them to declare their movable and immovable assets. If dues are not cleared, the civic body is planning to seal their properties. In October 2024, MC councillors had even revoked the 25% rebate in service tax being offered to government buildings annually, but the decision was not approved by the UT administration. Congress, AAP stage walkout over rising financial burden on residents Earlier, as the MC House got into session around 11 am, high drama unfolded as opposition councillors from the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a scathing protest against the BJP-led administration's decision to hike property taxes in Chandigarh. Wearing black clothes and badges, the Opposition stormed the House with slogans like 'BJP aai, taxes lai' and 'Mayor Madam brought tax hike as a gift from Amit Shah'. The opposition councillors remarked that the tax hike was a reflection of the BJP's decision to target residents' pockets to help MC recover from financial crisis and BJP's failure to bring in legitimate additional grants from the administration. To defend the move, mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla invoked media reports, quoting Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, claiming the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) will soon release ₹238 crore for MC. HT had on April 25 highlighted that UT administration has written to MHA and sought ₹238-crore recurring savings resulting from UT electricity department's privatisation that will further be redirected to the civic body. Calling it a 'celebratory moment', Babla urged councillors to think about development projects for their wards. Sweet distribution by BJP causes uproar In a move that shocked many, BJP councillors, on the directions of Babla, began distributing sweets on the floor of the House — a gesture that backfired entirely. The Congress and AAP leaders reacted with fury, condemning the act as 'inhuman' and 'insensitive,' especially given that the country is still mourning the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 innocent tourists were killed. Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi said, 'BJP has hurt religious and patriotic sentiments of each and every citizen of India by distributing sweets. BJP councillors displayed a shameful and inhuman mindset by distributing sweets, even as the pyres of 26 martyrs from Pahalgam had not yet cooled. This act not only dishonours the sacrifices of our brave martyrs but also exposes the inhuman and apathetic mindset of the BJP.' Senior deputy mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty exposed what he called the 'hollow announcements' of the BJP. 'Earlier, ₹92 crore was promised post-mayoral polls, but not a rupee has come. Now, they're banking on a 'requested' ₹238 crore, not even approved or confirmed yet. Is the BJP celebrating a tax hike or their failure to secure central funds?' AAP councillor and leader of Opposition Jaswinder Kaur added that the AAP demanded immediate removal of the BJP councillors and the mayor involved in this act, and a public apology and expression of remorse by them. The BJP hit back, insisting that the sweet distribution was unrelated to the tribute and meant solely to celebrate the central government's reported intent to financially assist the MC. Mayor Babla accused the Opposition of twisting facts to suit a political narrative. 'Tributes were paid with honour. Linking that with our separate celebration of the funding news is misleading and shows the opposition's petty mindset,' she remarked. BJP councillors even demanded suspension of Opposition councillors for 'politicising martyrdom'. However, by walking out of the House before tabling of key agendas around 3 pm, the Congress and AAP councillors left the floor open for the BJP-led MC to pass a steep hike in parking fees under the Smart Parking project and water bill penalties — without a single voice of dissent being recorded. The 35-member MC House has the BJP in majority with 16 councillors, followed by 13 of the AAP and six of the Congress. Member of Parliament Manish Tewari, who has an ex-officio vote in the House, did not attend the Wednesday meeting.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uniqus Consultech raises $20m in Series C round
Consultancy start-up Uniqus Consultech has raised $20m in its Series C funding round, led by Nexus Venture Partners with participation from Sorin Investments. Uniqus, founded in 2022, is a consultancy that leverages technology to deliver services across accounting and reporting, environmental, social and governance (ESG), and technology consulting. The funding will be used to accelerate Uniqus' growth, launch new services, and expand geographically across North America and globally. Uniqus also intends to make significant research and development investments in AI-powered solutions to address client challenges around reporting and risk management. The company has established offices in 11 cities across the US, India and the Middle East, employing more than 550 professionals. Its global delivery model serves more than 250 clients including Bloom Energy, GAP, UST and TaskUs. With a focus on the US, the company plans to add offices in Chicago and Austin, aiming to triple its North America revenues over the next three years. Currently, Uniqus operates from New York and Silicon Valley. Nexus Venture Partners managing director Anup Gupta said: 'Uniqus represents the future of consulting. While traditional consulting firms struggle to adapt to changing market needs, Uniqus takes a fundamentally different approach that delivers superior results. 'The company's strategic use of technology and AI, coupled with its global cloud delivery model, unlocks an enormous opportunity to transform client outcomes and redefine consulting economics. We are thrilled to reinforce our partnership with Team Uniqus in this exciting journey.' Uniqus co-founder and CEO Jamil Khatri said: 'Our vision has always been to build a consulting platform that leverages global talent and technology to deliver exceptional client outcomes. With a $100bn+ addressable market before us, this is just the beginning. 'Our latest round of funding positions us to expand our capabilities and geographical presence as we tap into this market. The funding will also help us to build Uniqus AI, leveraging our deep domain skills and new GenAI models to transform how consulting services are delivered.' Uniqus has built four proprietary tech platforms to support its consulting services. UniQuest, powered by GenAI, enhances search, summarisation and analysis across sectors including regulatory filings. Risk UniVerse simplifies financial reporting controls, SOX compliance and internal audits. Reporting UniVerse delivers an end-to-end solution for financial reporting and data management, while ESG UniVerse focuses on advanced ESG metric tracking. In October, Uniqus partnered with WNS, a provider of global digital-led business process management solutions, to deliver advanced sustainability consulting services and technical accounting and reporting solutions. The collaboration combines WNS' expertise in finance and accounting and AI capabilities with Uniqus' proficiency in ESG, reporting and accounting. "Uniqus Consultech raises $20m in Series C round " was originally created and published by International Accounting Bulletin, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
