Latest news with #HarpreetKaurBabla
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh bags spots in Super Swachh League, invited to Delhi award ceremony
The City Beautiful has secured a place in the prestigious Super Swachh League among cities with a population between 3 and 10 lakh in the Swachh Survekshan 2024 rankings. A special group photograph with the President has been planned for delegates from each Super Swachh League city . (HT photo for representation) While the final rankings will be announced at the award ceremony scheduled on July 17 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of the President of India, the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) has sent invites to various cities, including Chandigarh, which will be honoured at the event. A special group photograph with the President has been planned for delegates from each Super Swachh League city . The city delegation, led by the mayor and comprising up to 10 key officials and sanitation champions, will represent Chandigarh at the national ceremony on July 17. The Super Swachh League, a special category, has been introduced in the 2024 rankings to recognise cities that demonstrate extraordinary performance in the field of sanitation. The league features cities that have ranked in the top three at least once in the last three years and in the top 20 of their respective population category in the current year's assessment. 'Chandigarh continues to set benchmarks in urban sanitation, reaffirming its status as one of India's cleanest and most sustainable cities. This recognition is a testament to the city's consistent top-tier performance in cleanliness and sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission,' said mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla. It is worth mentioning that Chandigarh was ranked the 11th cleanest among cities with more than 1 lakh population in the 2023 Swachh Survekshan rankings, results of which were announced on January 11, 2024. It was an improvement from the 2022 rankings, when it was ranked 12th in the same category. Meanwhile, neighbouring Mohali and Panchkula have not received an invite for the Delhi ceremony. In the 2023 Swachh Survekshan, Mohali had climbed 31 positions to secure the 82nd rank among cities with over one lakh population, improving from 113th place in 2022. Panchkula's ranking in the 2023 assessment was 139th, a significant drop from its 86th position in 2022. Swachh Survekshan, conducted by MoHUA under the Swachh Bharat Urban Mission since 2016, is the world's largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey, in which cities are ranked on the basis of various parameters, including segregated door-to-door waste collection, zero waste events, disabled-friendly toilets, improved plastic waste management.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Now dedicated app will help UT's street vendors to pay monthly fees, challans
In a bid to enhance digital governance and ease of doing business, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar, on Thursday launched an app and portal vendor cell web portal for registered street vendors in Chandigarh. The initiative, developed by the Society for Promotion of Information Technology, Chandigarh (SPIC), aims to bring greater transparency, convenience, and administrative efficiency for the city's vendor community, an MC official said. The app, available on Android, allows vendors to make online payments for monthly vending fees, ID cards, challans, registration, and renewal charges. Vendors can also view and download payment histories, receipts, and provisional vending certificates directly from the app. Additional features include the ability to submit service requests like mobile number updates, automated notifications about upcoming or pending payments. It is available in English, Hindi, or Punjabi — making it accessible to a wider user base. The app and Vendor Cell Web Portal ( offer a one-stop digital interface for vendor-related services. It provides access to vendor bylaws, policies, fee structures, and status verification tools. The portal also features interactive maps of designated vending zones and a public dashboard that displays real-time data on active vendors, daily transactions, and fee collection. 'This is not just a digital tool — it's a step toward empowering our street vendors and improving citizen-centric service delivery,' MC Commissioner Amit Kumar said. As part of the launch event, 20 ID cards and 20 certificates of vending (COVs) were distributed to registered vendors, symbolising the start of this new digital chapter. The MC aims to use these platforms to create a centralised, accountable, and vendor-friendly ecosystem in the city.
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Civic body scraps ₹1.86 crore sapling tender following flak
In response to mounting criticism from city councillors, mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and residents, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has scrapped its controversial ₹ 1.86 crore tender floated for purchasing saplings for a citywide plantation campaign. The civic body has instead adopted a cost-effective approach by engaging private banks, Rotary clubs and corporate firms to contribute under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The move comes after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Chandigarh administration to plant 5 lakh trees, with 1.5 lakh to be planted by the municipal corporation, as part of efforts to boost the city's green cover. (HT File) The move comes after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Chandigarh administration to plant 5 lakh trees, with 1.5 lakh to be planted by the municipal corporation, as part of efforts to boost the city's green cover. In June, the MC issued a ₹ 1.86 crore tender to procure saplings—specifically those over six feet tall—for this campaign. However, the proposal drew backlash during the recent general house meeting, where councillors questioned the need for such a high-budget tender amid the civic body's financial crunch. They pointed out that the MC already maintains its nurseries and could also acquire plants from the UT forest department. 'We are struggling to maintain roads and pay staff salaries. There is no need for such expensive purchases when cheaper alternatives exist,' councillors said during the general house meeting on Monday. Faced with the backlash, the MC withdrew the tender and instead shifted to a sponsorship model similar to the one used during this year's rose festival, where ₹ 60 lakh was raised from around 15 sponsors in exchange for advertising space. Municipal commissioner Amit Kumar said the MC has already secured ₹ 1.25 crore in support and is continuing to seek more funding from CSR partners. 'The tender was initially floated to purchase saplings with a height of over six feet. The saplings with such height are not available in MC's nurseries. But, after discussion, we decided to carry out the plantation drive with logistical and financial help from institutional partners. Various banks, clubs and corporate firms have come forward as a part of its 'corporate social responsibility (CSR)' initiative. We have already secured support of ₹ 1.25 crore and we are trying to arrange more fundings', said municipal commissioner Amit Kumar, during the house meeting on Monday. The plantation drive, set to begin this week, aims to plant 1.5 lakh trees without any direct spending from the MC. Areas such as the Dadumajra dumping ground are already being targeted under ongoing drives. To ensure better results, this year's campaign will include a digital monitoring system. Each sapling will be geotagged, allowing real-time tracking of its location and growth, helping ensure proper maintenance and survival. As per Chandigarh administration officials, at present, the city's sapling survival rate ranges between 50% and 60%. Over the past seven years, the city's green cover has increased by 9%.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Councillors weigh in on AI-powered smart parking plan for UT
In a significant step towards addressing the city's ongoing parking challenges, around 20 councillors from various parties attended an all-party meeting convened by mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla on Tuesday to discuss the much-anticipated Smart Parking project. Held just days before the June 30 General House meeting, the session saw modest participation as councillors reviewed the revised blueprint for the city's AI-based parking initiative. The re-imagined project, aims to implement AI–based, state-of-the-art facilities across 89 parking lots in the city. (HT File) The fresh proposal came nearly three months after the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) house scrapped the previous version of the Smart Parking project, citing execution and infrastructure gaps. The re-imagined project, drafted by the parking committee of the civic body chaired by councillor Saurabh Joshi, aims to implement artificial intelligence–based, state-of-the-art facilities across 89 parking lots in the city to streamline traffic flow and enhance parking convenience for residents. As per the project proposal, the revamped project will have an AI-enabled parking management and monitoring, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), real-time space availability tracking, dynamic pricing and demand-based slot allocation, pre-booking options for convenience, live status updates via mobile app and digital displays, integrated digital payment solutions, centralised command and control centre, 'pink periphery zones' for women's safety, dedicated spaces for persons with disabilities, EV charging stations at multiple sites, valet parking services at select locations, energy-efficient lighting and infrastructure, and emergency features including SOS alerts and dedicated lanes. The software support for these systems is proposed to come from the Society for Promotion of IT in Chandigarh (SPIC). Additionally, there have been deliberations on data protection protocols, revenue-sharing models, inclusion of GST and stamp duties, and a new fee structure. During the meeting, Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi raised concerns regarding the implementation timeline and profit-first approach of past contractors. 'The MC is proposing that the firm allotted the tender can begin charging revised rates within 90 days and then upgrade the infrastructure. But based on past experience, these companies start collecting money without completing the infrastructure set up. This time, priority must be given to completing the infrastructure first,' Gabi said. Notably, on April 27, the House approved a hike in parking rates, which will come into effect once the smart system is rolled out. According to the new structure, parking will remain free for the first 15 minutes at all 89 MC-managed lots — a move aimed at easing quick-turnaround visits and improving vehicle circulation. For longer duration, four-wheelers will be charged ₹ 20 for up to four hours, up from the current ₹ 14. Two-wheeler users will pay ₹ 10, a rise from ₹ 7. Premium rates of ₹ 85 for the first four hours have been proposed for high-traffic commercial hubs such as Elante Mall, Fun Republic, and Piccadily Square, making them the most expensive parking spots in the city. AAP councillor Prem Lata said, 'Suggestions were given to ensure that the parking staff wear uniform, with their names and contact numbers printed on it. Also, vacant spaces of MC should be converted into parking lots. Also, reserving the parking space using an online booking method can be tricky as space will remain un-utilised for hours, and long waiting queues will be seen on city roads.' Congress councillor Sachin Galav and other party councillors staged a walkout from the meeting for protesting against the administration for organising a political event. 'Chandigarh administration and BJP should be ashamed of holding events like 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' while doing nothing for the city. The same BJP that brings unconstitutional ordinances, misuses ED and CBI, crushes dissent, and runs parliament without debate, talks about saving the constitution? hypocrisy at its peak,' Galav said.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Chandigarh MC mulls implementation of smart AI-based parking project at 89 locations
The Municipal Corporation's (MC's) parking committee has proposed the implementation of a smart AI-based parking project at 89 locations across Chandigarh. The plan was discussed at a key meeting held under the chair of Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla. The meeting saw participation from committee chairman Saurabh Joshi and councillors including Jaswinder Kaur, Umesh Ghai, Dilip Sharma, Rajinder Sharma, Anil Masih, Jasbir Singh Bunty, and others, alongside senior MC officers. As outlined during the discussion, the project aims to tackle growing traffic congestion and parking chaos in the city by introducing a seamless, tech-driven, and citizen-friendly parking ecosystem. The proposed system integrates artificial intelligence to enable real-time parking space tracking, automatic number plate recognition, and centralised monitoring. Key features of the proposed smart parking model include dynamic pricing, pre-booking options, live updates via a mobile app and digital display boards, digital payments, and a centralised command and control centre. In addition, the proposal includes infrastructure enhancements such as energy-efficient lighting, SOS emergency systems, and valet services at select locations. The plan also emphasises inclusivity with designated 'Pink Periphery Zones' for women's safety, special parking spots for persons with disabilities, and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations across several sites. The parking committee has invited suggestions from all councillors to refine the project before it is presented in the upcoming General House meeting for final approval. If approved, this initiative could position Chandigarh as a leading smart mobility city in India, aligning with the broader vision of sustainable and tech-enabled urban development, an MC official said.
