Soon, parking your vehicle in Sector 17 may get costlier as the municipal corporation (MC) is proposing a revised fee structure for the 20 paid-parking sites, including the multi-level parking in the sector.
The proposal will be placed before the General House on September 22. According to the proposal, two-wheelers will be charged ₹10 for up to eight hours and ₹15 beyond eight hours while car and three-wheeler owners will have to shell out ₹20 for up to eight hours and ₹30 beyond eight hours (see box).
The revised rates will, however, not apply immediately. The tender conditions state that existing rates will continue until the operationalisation of smart parking systems. These systems will include boom barriers, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras with at least 30-day recording and data storage, digital ticketing/point-of-sale facilities and a web-based dashboard.
The MC has proposed handing over the operation and management of the 20 parking sites to a contractor for four years through e-auction. The reserve price has been fixed at ₹3 crore annually. The corporation said it currently generates over ₹2 crore annually from 18 parking sites. The contractor’s licence fee will remain unchanged for the first two years and rise by 5% in the third year, with the fourth-year fee remaining at the third-year level.
The proposal also provides for around 1,500 free parking passes already issued by the MC to continue to be honoured. Electric vehicles will be allowed free parking in earmarked spaces until March 31, 2027. No parking fee will be charged for up to 10 minutes for taxis, cabs and autos with valid yellow registration plates for pick-up and drop, as well as two-wheeler delivery vehicles.
The contractor will also face penalties for overcharging, non-issuance of parking slips, unauthorised parking, commercial activity and failure to operate smart parking systems. Repeated violations could lead to termination of the contract.
Besides parking, the House will also deliberate on the Solid Waste Management Bylaws 2026, including four-way waste segregation, fresh waste-collection arrangements in non-MoU areas, CCTV installation under ward development fund and rejuvenation of selected ponds. Proposals concerning wastewater treatment, sewage infrastructure, water-supply augmentation and effluent treatment plants at municipal dhobi ghats are also on the agenda.
The House will also consider imposing a higher tipping fee for mixed waste, and getting bulk waste generators to manage wet waste on their premises. For non-MoU areas, the MC will consider three options, including hiring 21 tractor-trailers at around ₹23 lakh a month. A new agency is also proposed for the Sector 25 waste treatment plant.
Eyes ₹82-cr revenue with ads at 526 public sites
The MC is set to consider a proposal to allow advertisements at 526 public sites, including 320 public toilet blocks and 144 connecting passages. Advertisements are also proposed at 62 cycle docking stations.
According to the MC’s preliminary assessment, advertising rights at the 320 toilet blocks and 144 connecting passages could generate around ₹76 crore, while the 62 cycle docking stations are expected to fetch another ₹6 crore. Together, these sites could potentially generate around ₹82 crore in revenue for the civic body. Advertisers will have to comply with the Chandigarh Advertisement Control Order, 1954. The House will also consider authorising the MC office to grant the temporary permissions through online or offline procedures.
The MC is currently preparing the tender process for granting long-term advertising rights. A committee headed by joint commissioner-3 has been constituted to finalise the tender terms and conditions.
As the tender process is likely to take time, the corporation has proposed granting interim advertising permissions on a monthly payment basis until the tender is finalised. The permissions will remain valid only until the completion of the tender process.
The corporation has proposed renaming community centres across sectors and villages as ‘Jan Upyogi Kendra’, with the new name to be displayed in Hindi, English and Punjabi.
Sheetal is a senior correspondent with Hindustan Times with over seven years of reporting experience. She currently covers the Mohali administration, including the Municipal Corporation Mohali, municipal councils across SAS Nagar district, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), political parties, Chandigarh International Airport, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and other key civic, urban development and infrastructure beats. Her reporting focuses on governance, land acquisition, urban planning, public infrastructure, environmental issues and local politics, with an emphasis on stories that shape public policy and impact everyday life. Previously, she covered the crime beat, reporting on policing, cybercrime and criminal investigations across the Tricity. She has also covered lifestyle and entertainment, reporting on arts, culture, fashion, food and events. Her diverse reporting experience enables her to track complex civic, governance and law enforcement issues with depth and context.Read More