Residents urged to install solar panels before June 30, get subsidy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

Debendra Dalai, Chief Conservator of Forests and Director, CREST, UT Administration, urged city residents to install solar panels before June 30, 2019, and avail the benefit of 30 per cent Central Government subsidy.

He pointed out that cost of installation of solar panel will be recovered in a period of about 5 years and residents will avail the benefit of recurring cost for a period of next 20 years.

Dalai was speaking during the executive meeting of the Chandigarh Residents’ Associations Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) held at the main auditorium of Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10 here today under the chairmanship of Hitesh Puri.

The meeting was attended by representatives of more than 70 RWAs from across the city. The agenda of the meeting was discussion on Housing Board policy, street vendors occupying public place in markets, etc.

Rajat Malhotra, general secretary, CRAWFED, took up the matter of the latest notification of the Chandigarh Housing Board, wherein need-based policy has been approved by the UT Administrator. The facts were brought to the knowledge of the House that no much relief had been given to the residents of CHB flats. Around 80 per cent of the people are going to be getting affected negatively, if this policy was implemented.

Rajat pointed out that residents were disheartened after going through the contents of this notification.

Hitesh Puri, chairman of CRAWFED, took up the issue of street vendors occupying public space. He said residents were not happy the way the Municipal Corporation is handling the issue.

He said there was no proper representation from resident welfare associations in the Town Vending Committee, who can further help vendors to resettle in a proper way at proper places.

To ease the pressure on the development of Chandigarh, he demanded setting up of a metropolitan development authority for the tricity by involving prominent personalities/ dignitaries from Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. The idea was accepted by the House by raising hands.