MC reopens booking of city community centres with rider

Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 26

After suspending booking of community centres for more than 15 days due to violation of the election code of the conduct by some BJP councillors, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has now reopened it for residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and other organisations to whom the facility is provided free of cost. However, there is a rider that there is no poll code violation while the centre is in use.

In a direction issued to the in charges of community centres and Sampark centres, the Additional Commissioner, MC, stated that all bookings under Clause 16 of the policy guidelines of community centres and the ‘janj ghars’, except for Clause 16 (V), were restored on a condition that the organiser or the applicant would ensure no violation of model code of the conduct.

The events that can be held free of the cost include medical camps and blood donation camps organised on the recommendations of the Mayor, the MC Commissioner and the area councillor, an RWA, senior citizens associations and pensioners’ body.

Market welfare association and defence personnel associations will also be allowed to hold function on the area councillor’s verification. Besides, kriya and bhog ceremonies will be permitted.

The MC had stopped all such bookings after the Election Commission sent notices to city BJP president Sanjay Tandon and six councillors of the party for holding political meetings at community centres. While the Election Commission issued notices to the leaders, it also directed the MC to ensure that no leader misused community centre for political meetings.