CHANDIGARH, May 10 —Chandigarh Member of Parliament Manish Tewari has advocated for the implementation of targeted welfare schemes for the city’s urban poor and lower-middle-class residents in a formal appeal addressed to Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.
In his communication, Tewari proposed providing 300 units of free electricity and 20,000 litres of free water monthly to households with an income below ₹20,000. He affirmed that such measures are financially sustainable and mirror successful models already operational in neighboring Punjab and Delhi.
The MP asserted that the Chandigarh Administration possesses the necessary fiscal room to support these initiatives, noting a significant reduction in projected expenditure for power and renewables. Tewari maintained that the Administration should seek additional funds in the upcoming Supplementary Demands for Grants to facilitate these subsidies starting as early as July 2026. He declared that providing free water would cost approximately ₹39.65 crore annually, a sum he described as manageable compared to the substantial investments being directed toward large-scale infrastructure projects.
Furthermore, Tewari pointed out that the Municipal Corporation had previously passed a resolution for free water, which remains valid despite prior administrative resistance. He maintained that since Chandigarh receives its funding directly from the Central Government, it does not face the same financial constraints as full states. The former Union Minister asserted that the move requires only political will and empathy, urging the administration to refrain from utilizing a “misconceived veto” against the needs of the city’s vulnerable sections.
