MOHALI, July 19 —To reduce financial strain and improve civic services, the Mohali municipal corporation on Friday approved a proposal to hand over the upkeep of five city parks to private companies under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) model.
Mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu told the House that a committee of councillors and officials will be formed to lay down the framework for implementation. “Initially, we will hand over five parks to firms under the CSR model. If the company’s performance is found unsatisfactory, a 15-day notice will be issued and their contract cancelled,” said Sidhu.
Importantly, the parks will only be transferred with the consent of the respective ward councillor.
Under the CSR model, companies will maintain the parks at no cost to the municipal corporation. Their responsibilities will include not just cleanliness and landscaping but also the upkeep of infrastructure and installation of amenities like cafeterias. In return, firms will be allowed to generate revenue through advertisements, kiosks, paid parking, and ticketing where viable.
Mohali currently has 798 parks, including 39 large “special parks” and 194 managed by residents’ welfare associations (RWAs). The urban local body will advertise to invite CSR partners, with pre-evaluated park maintenance costs ensuring a self-sustaining model.
In another significant move, the House approved the rollout of Aadhaar-based biometric attendance for all municipal employees, aligning with the Government of India’s AEBAS policy. The new system will replace the existing manual attendance process to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
The House also cleared a proposal to float fresh open tenders for door-to-door garbage collection amid complaints of inefficiency and poor service from current contractors. Councillors demanded more accountability and adherence to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The revised tender will include clauses for retaining existing sanitation workers and ensuring waste segregation at the source.
Mayor Sidhu said the goal is to improve public amenities without overburdening the civic body’s budget. “These steps are part of our broader effort to streamline services and partner with the private sector where feasible,” he said.
