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Area : 114 sq km
Population : 900,635
Capital : Chandigarh
Principal Languages : Hindi, Punjabi, English
Chandigarh is a fully grown
town of most modern architectural splendour. The
city nestles in a picturesque setting in the
foothills of Shivalik hills and enjoys the
popular epithet the "City Beautiful".
Representative of modern Architecture & Town
Planning, the city is a creation of the French
Architect, Le Corbusier, Chandigarh and the area
surrounding it were constituted as a Union
Territory on 1 November 1966. It serves as the
joint capital of both Punjab and Haryana States.
It is bounded on North and West by Punjab and on
the East and South by Haryana.
Chandigarh Administration is moving on four
broad fronts. First, it is our aim to provide,
with the help of information technology, an
accessible and transparent administration. We
were among the earliest to
implement the
provisions of the Right to Information Act. A
number of services, for which citizens earlier
had to go to government offices, are now
available on computer and mobile phones. All
rules are being reviewed to see what
simplification can be carried out to make them
user-friendly. The purpose is to minimise
the exercise of discretion, and minimise the
leg work of the citizen in dealing with the
Administration.
Secondly, the Administration is working
towards a higher rate of economic growth by
encouraging economic activities which provide
greater value addition, such as knowledge based
industries, high-end commercial activity, etc.,
Chandigarh already has the highest per capita
income in the country.
Thirdly, the Administration is seeking to
provide infrastructural services such as
electricity supply, water supply, health and
educational services and public transport which
should compare with those in advanced countries.
It will take time, but we believe that our
ambitions can be achieved in the medium
term.
Fourthly, the Administration is all too
conscious of the fact that the benefits of
development do not reach everyone equally. Hence
there is a special emphasis on reaching out to
those whom development has by-passed.
The Union Territory Chandigarh has
limited area under Agriculture. The agricultural
land is being gradually acquired for the
expansion of Chandigarh City, and cultivated
area has shrunk from 5,441 hectares in 1966 to
1,400 hectares in 2002-03. The main sources of
irrigation are deep-bore tube-wells installed by
the Administration and shallow tube-wells
installed by individual farmers. The main crop
of foodgrain is wheat and it is sown nearly in
700 hectares of land. The Department is making
efforts to promote techniques of harvesting by
following measures: (i) Extension and Farmers
Study/Training Tour, (ii) Development of Kitchen
Garden, (iii) Soil and Water Conservation.
There are 15 large and medium
industries, and about 3,140 small-scale
industrial units in the State, offering
employment to about 30,000 persons and giving an
annual output of approximately Rs 600 crore.
These units are mainly ancillary units engaged
in the manufacturing of industrial fasteners,
steel and wooden furniture, machine tools, soaps
and detergents, pharmaceuticals,
electrical/electronic items, sanitary fittings,
sports goods, plastic goods, knitting needles,
etc. There are about 20 major exporting units in
Chandigarh, which export goods to the tune of Rs
60 crore (approximately) annually. Although in
national terms, the quantity of exports may
appear to be rather small, the Administration's
efforts now are to promote only hi-tech
electronic and information technology,
non-polluting industry besides the export
oriented industry for future expansion.
Chandigarh gets power from
neighbouring states and Central generation
projects to meet its power requirement. It has
3.5 per cent share of total power generation of
Bhakra complex. Further, the firm allocation is
82.9 mw , out of thermal, nuclear and gas based
Central generation projects. The shortfall is
being met through ad hoc allocation from BBMB
besides Central projects. All the villages
around the city stand electrified and have been
extended the facility of public lighting. About
2,000 number of energy efficient lamps have been
installed in various important buildings.
Chandigarh has made
strides in the field of Information Technology
which today is synonymous with development and
progress. 25 September 2005 will be remembered
as a red letter day in the history of
Chandigarh. On that day the Prime Minister, Dr.
Manmohan Singh, inaugurated the Rajiv Gandhi
Chandigarh Technology Park. This has added a
fresh dimension to the economy of the city. The
creation of a knowledge-based industry is an
impetus to Chandigarh being seen as an
investment destination for technology companies.
This in turn will improve not only the quantity
but also the quality of employment. The
Administration is also considering the
development of Chandigarh as a financial
services hub. Projects like the Chandigarh
Technology Park, Education City and Film City
will further improve the level of economic
activity. Chandigarh is becoming one of the
preferred destinations for technology companies
since it affords an excellent quality of life
and a competent base of human resource.
In the second phase of the IT Park, Wipro has
been made an anchor company and Bharti
Teleservices has also been allotted land to set
up its software development centre-cum-campus.
The 250 acre phase-II of the CTP will comprise
of 115 acres for Technology Park and 135 acres
for integrated support facilities. An
Entrepreneur Development Centre (EDC) is also
being established at the CTP. It would be
available to IT/ITES/BPO companies for
incubation and for setting up of plug and play
facilities. It will have a research laboratory
which will provide modern facilities to
companies to work in.
The Chandigarh Administration has also
initiated action on the various projects to meet
the objectives of Jawahar Lal Nehru National
Urban Renewal Mission so as to have planned
development of urban areas with focus on
efficiency in urban services delivery system.
The Municipal Corporation has already sent a
project on Tertiary Water Treatment, seeking an
assistance of Rs.35 crore to the Union
Government. The Chandigarh Administration has
made a provision of Rs.94.22 crore of tax
revenue for the Municipal Corporation. In
addition to this, Rs.7.03 crore were also
allotted for payment of street light bills. The
Administration has also been giving additional
grant to the Municipal Corporation for creation
of civic amenities under various projects.
Recently Rs. 50 lakh were given to the Municipal
Corporation for upgradation of facilities in
Sector 17.
Chandigarh Administration has always
endeavoured to improve the infrastructural
facilities of the city. The Administration is
giving top priority to the conservation of
water. The Administration has been working in
close coordination with the Municipal
Corporation to provide various civic amenities
and services. The augmentation work of water
supply scheme, Phase-IV has been completed at
the cost of Rs.4722 lakh, 25 new deep tube wells
have been installed at various parts of the city
at the cost of Rs.300 lakh, and 12 new irrigation tube wells have been installed at
the cost of Rs.100 lakh for supply of water for
irrigation. A 5 MGD Sewerage Treatment Plant has
been constructed at the cost of Rs.505 lakh in
village Raipur Kalan for treating sewage
affluent of Manimajra. The sewerage and storm
water drainage system of the city has further
been augmented and strengthened at the cost of
Rs.235 lakh.
There is a proposal to upgrade the Sewerage
Treatment Plant at Diggian to 45MGD at an
estimated cost of Rs.3200 lakh. The Tertiary
Water Distribution Network will be further
augmented at the cost of Rs.2200 lakh.
Construction of a 2MGD Sewerage Treatment Plan
at Maloya at the cost of Rs.300 lakh is also in
pipeline. For further augmenting the water
supply, 19 new tube wells will also be installed
at a cost of Rs. 300 lakh.
For healthy living, the sustainability of
environment and conducive atmosphere is
important. In this regard, the Municipal
Corporation has developed Green Belts in Sec
38C&D and 24A, B, C&D. Shivalik Garden
in Manimajra (Pocket No.7) is being developed at
a cost of Rs.200 lakh. Around 5000 trees and
shrubs have been planted during the last six
months. Community Centers are being constructed
at Modern Housing Complex, Manimajra, Sec.28B
and Sec.30B at the cost of Rs.50 lakh. For the
convenience of commuters, the Corporation has
constructed 48 state of the art bus queue
shelters.
Chandigarh has one of the better power supply
and electricity distribution systems in the
country. We have undertaken a project to provide
electricity with a reliability of 99.99 per cent
within two years. Keeping in view the need for a
quick and efficient public transportation system
for Chandigarh, a new Grid Transport System has
been introduced. Expressions of interest have
been invited for a rail based mass rapid transit
system.
It
is one of the priorities to give the social
sector especially education and health a
definite and desired thrust. Recently, the
administration has launched an ambitious
Nutrition Programme which aims at maintaining
the health and well being of school children.
Under the programme, healthy cooked meal such as
chapattis, vegetables and dal are being given to
the students free of cost especially in
colonies, villages, rehabilitation colonies and
non-model schools whose pupils are from low
income families. In the second phase, other
schools will also be supplied same cooked food.
Simultaneously teams of doctors would regularly
visit schools for repeated monitoring to provide
nutrition supplements in tablet form to
nutritionally deficient children at least for
six months. All anemic and worm affected
children examined by the School Health Teams
would be provided treatment for three months.
For worm infestation, the first dose will be
given on the spot while the teachers can be
assigned the tasks of administering the second
dose on the next due date. Children needing
further medical treatment, dental treatment and
eye check ups would be referred to the
appropriate Hospital for further treatment. The
parents of the schools going children in the
target areas including rehabilitation and labour
colonies would be sensitized repeatedly about
nutritional requirements, deficiencies and
diseases.The Chandigarh dministration has taken
the lead in providing free and compulsory
education to all children of the age group 6-14
years as enshrined in our constitution. The fee
upto class VIII chargeable from students has
also been abolished in all government schools.
Not only this, the system of collection of funds
from the students in the government schools has
also been abolished from December 2005 and
the requirement of the government schools
will be met from the budget of the
Administration. It has also been decided that
all students in non-model schools upto class
VIII will be provided free books and all
children studying in non-model schools upto
class VIII will be provided free school uniforms
from the forthcoming session.
In its endeavour to provide accessible,
affordable and reliable health care to the
citizens of Chandigarh, the Administration has
taken several steps to improve, upgrade and
modernise the existing health facilities and
infrastructure. Several state of the art
facilities have been started at the Government
Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 and the
General Hospital, Sector 16 to provide better
patient care. The existing system of the GMCH is
being networked and the process to start
Endoscopic Surgery in the Department of
Gynaecology has also been started. Computerised
Radiography System and Digital Radiotherapy will
be installed in the Department of
Radio-diagnosis of the GMCH. Seven well-equipped
operation theatres along with Post Anesthesia
Care Unit and Post Operative Ward will be
commissioned in the GMCH. Toxicology Laboratory
will be established to facilitate patient care
with regard to analysis of chemical and poison
at the GMCH. Foundation stone of the Regional
Institute for Mentally Handicapped at Sector
31-C has been laid.
The Emergency Block of the General Hospital,
Sector16 will be renovated and a 6-storeyed OPD
Block has been planned in the General Hospital.
Help Desk at the General Hospital, Sector 16,
has been established for convenience of patients
and provision for blue coloured cards for
according preference to senior citizens in
outdoor clinics has been made. Uniformity is
being made at primary level by outsourcing
laboratory investigations at the rates
equivalent to that of user charges fixed by the
Administration. The National Board of
Examination, the Union Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare have accredited the General
Hospital 16 to award Post Graduate Diploma in
Gynecology and Pediatrics. There is a proposal
to upgrade the School of Nursing into College of
Nursing. The patients below poverty line and
patients under financial distress are provided
free OPD/Indoor treatment. The Chandigarh
Administration has set up a Drop-in-Centre for
HIV patients to improve their quality of life
and a new Voluntary Counseling and Testing
Centre has also been established at Community
Health Centre, Manimajra.
With an aim to create an entrepreneur
friendly environment all the major decisions are
taken in consultation with the user groups.
Public opinion on the Excise Policy 2006-07 has
been sought by the Chandigarh Administration to
make it more user friendly before its final
implementation. The draft Excise Policy has been
framed in consonance with the Model Excise
Policy/Taxation/Act Rules for alcoholic
beverages circulated by the Union Ministry of
Food Processing Industries. Simultaneously, it
will also check the evasion of the excise duty
and other taxes and substantially enhance the
revenue of the Administration.
To boost commercial activities in the Union
Territory of Chandigarh, the Administration has
recently announced the liberalization of
conversion from one trade to another. Under the
policy, free conversion of trade in respect of
the ground floors of commercial establishments
has been allowed. Allottees of commercial sites
and premises can pursue most trades without
applying for conversion and without paying for
it on the ground floor.
A society is judged by the way it treats its
downtrodden, poor, destitute, senior citizens
and widows. In the field of social welfare, the
Administration has taken several initiatives. An
inclusive Vocational Training-cum-Production
Marketing Centre is coming up in Sector 46,
which would be a hub of training, trades,
self-employment activities, early intervention
and prevention of childhood disabilities and to
make the children self supported persons. The
Centre will also cater to the needs of deserving
persons of the neighbouring states. A Vocational
Training Programme for Persons with Disabilities
is proposed to be funded under the Govt. of
India’s scheme where vocational training and
sheltered workshops can be established. For the
convenience of the pensioners, the
Administration has started disbursing Old Age
Pension, Widow Pension and Pension to Disabled
Person through Sampark Centres established in
Sectors 10,15,18,23,43,47, Manimajra and
Industrial Area Phase- I. Chandigarh
Administration has set up a Maintenance Cell at
the Chandigarh College of Engineering and
Technology to provide maintenance services to
the residents of the city in technical fields.
It will also impart technical training in
various fields to the people living below
poverty line to make them self dependent wage
earners.
The Administration has also launched a
project under which local artisans will be
provided a place to showcase their artifacts and
a platform to exhibit and sell their products. A
directory of artisans will be prepared which
will be kept at the Panchayat Bhawan so that the
artisans can be contacted whenever required. The
artisans will also be encouraged to form
cooperative societies for which all help will be
extended to them by the Registrar Cooperative
Societies so as to enable them to exhibit and
sell their products in a profitable way. A Child
Art Gallery in Govt. Museum and Art Gallery will
be established.
Chandigarh Administration has been making
sincere efforts to meet the housing demand of
the residents. Housing scheme for 96 one bedroom
and 96 two bedroom flats in Sector 49 has
recently been launched. Similarly, another
housing scheme for 160 one bed room and 112 two
bed room flats in Sector 49 is likely to be
launched shortly. For economically weaker
sections, 288 flats in Sector 38(West) and
400 flats in Sector 49 will be launched under
another housing scheme. About 1600
multi-storeyed flats will be constructed in
Sector 63 for which consultants are being
engaged. Chandigarh Administration has earmarked
135 acres of land for residential facility in
the CTP where about 2000 flats are expected to
be constructed. About 90 acres of land has also
been allotted to the CHB in Sectors 53, 54 and
55 for housing scheme. Chandigarh Administration
is also in the process of earmarking 20 acres of
land in Sector 52 for construction of houses of
different categories for U.T. employees.
Chandigarh Housing Board is being computerized
to provide online data to public to check their
accounts and pay dues online. Software for
providing online information to the allottees
has been prepared and property records are being
computerised.
Chandigarh Police has strived to provide a
people friendly, transparent and responsive
policing to the residents of the city with focus
on professionalism and basic policing. The
Chandigarh Police has recently launched an SMS
information facility. The SMS information
facility would enable any person to know status
of public complaints submitted at the public
window system and the status of their passport
applications. The Common Integrated Police
Application is also being introduced in all the
police stations of the Union Territory of
Chandigarh.
Chandigarh boasts of an excellent sports
infrastructure in the country. Its modern sports
infrastructure has further been strengthened.
Flood lights with latest technology at a cost of
Rs.1.67 crore have been commissioned at Hockey
Stadium, Sector 42. The swimming pool of the
Lake Club is being renovated and several world
class facilities are being added to the Cricket
stadium, Sector 16 to bring it at par with an
international cricket ground. Flood lights will
also be installed. All weather swimming pool at
Sports Complex, Sector 42, will be
constructed.
Chandigarh
Transport Undertaking has the privilege to
operate public transport plied on sub-urban
routes, city routes and on inter-state routes.
The length of national highways is 15.275 km.
Chandigarh is well connected by all, road and
air as well.
Important tourist centres are
Rock Garden, Rose Garden, Sukhna Lake, Museum
and Art Gallery, City Museum, Tower of Shadows,
Geometric Hill Museum of Evolution, Kala Gram,
Log Huts, Nepli Forests, Fitness Trails (in
Leisure Valley), National Gallery of Portraits,
Central Plaza, International Doll Museum and
Smriti Upvan.
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