Chandigarh, August 24: Facing mounting financial strain and deteriorating roads, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) will once again place before the House a proposal to transfer all V3 sector-dividing roads to the UT administration for carpeting and maintenance. The proposal, set to be tabled at Tuesday’s meeting, comes months after a similar move was rejected.
In its agenda note, the civic body said there are about 71 V3 roads under its jurisdiction, spanning nearly 275 km. These roads require resurfacing and strengthening every five years, but due to lack of funds, no such work has been carried out in the past two years. “At present, the MC requires at least ₹45 crore to carpet 50 km of V3 roads. Given our financial situation, it is proposed that the House reconsider transfer of these roads to the UT in public interest,” the note stated.
The issue first came up in March when the House turned down the transfer, with councillors warning that it could weaken the city’s case for additional financial aid from the UT. However, MC commissioner Amit Kumar had recorded dissent, arguing that without funds, the civic body could not undertake carpeting that season. Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla had also supported the transfer, suggesting the roads could be reclaimed once the financial situation improved. The UT administration later refused to take over the roads, seeking clarity on the legal framework for such a move.
Officials said the worsening road conditions and growing protests from opposition councillors have prompted the MC to revive the plan. They estimate nearly ₹50 crore will be needed just to re-carpet 250 km of “very poor” roads across the city, excluding V3s. With another crucial October–November carpeting season approaching, officials warned that delays in funding could stall all work yet again.
Currently, the MC maintains around 2,000 km of city roads—more than 60% of Chandigarh’s network—including V3, V4 (shopping streets), V5 (sector circulation), V6 (residential access) and village and rehabilitation colony roads. Pothole repairs have been halted for months, leading to a surge of complaints from residents.
Alongside the road agenda, the House will also take up plans to organise the 2026 Rose Festival with private sponsorships, given the civic body’s budget crunch. The annual event is estimated to cost ₹1.12 crore. The MC will also finalise terms for new agencies that will handle GIS-based mechanised sweeping in southern sectors.
In another key development, the civic body is preparing to partner with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to set up a compressed biogas (CBG) plant that will process the city’s wet waste. The proposal follows the rejection of the integrated solid waste management plant earlier this year, which councillors opposed citing faulty conditions and suspected irregularities.
An MC official said the latest plan is aligned with the Centre’s SATAT scheme under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, which mandates oil marketing companies to establish CBG plants. “IOCL has submitted a proposal to set up a segregated organic waste-based CBG plant at their own cost. They will invest in both capital and operations, and a 10-acre plot at the Dadumajra dumping site has been earmarked,” the official said.
The MC plans to sign a 15-year agreement, ensuring daily supply of 200 tonnes of wet waste and 30 tonnes of cow dung to the facility free of cost. While the IOCL project would handle organic waste, officials admitted the corporation will still need a separate integrated facility to process dry, horticultural, and mixed waste.
The House meeting on August 26 will therefore see the civic body balancing urgent infrastructure demands with new partnerships aimed at tackling both road maintenance and the waste management crisis.
