In the name of beautifying the city, the administration is allegedly involved in massive bribery among officers and contractors of the horticulture department. As a result, there are no flowers or visible gardeners on any road in the city. Whereas previously, marigold flowers adorned every road and intersection, now they seem to exist only on paper within the Horticulture Department. Observers can easily discern whether a roundabout or a neglected area is present by simply looking at both sides of the road. This condition is pervasive throughout the city, including both sides of the road behind Sector 9 Chandigarh Secretariat.
Officials and contractors appear to operate without fear of the administrator and advisor. The excuse given by officials for plants drying up in summer and being stolen for centuries misleads both the public and administration officials. When the society team investigated the city’s beautification through Janmarg on Monday, it exposed the reality behind the officers’ and contractors’ actions. Horticulture department officials hurriedly dispatched gardeners to start planting saplings.
Upon reaching the site, head gardener Dilbagh Singh stated, “Sir, my duty is somewhere else. I received a call from JE Sahab asking me to reach Janmarg quickly and water the plants. I’m confused; I don’t know who the contractor is.” According to received information, the administration’s horticulture department has awarded contracts for beautification along the city’s roads. However, beautification seems confined to paperwork due to negligence. People are now demanding a vigilance investigation into this matter.
Harvinder Singh, Junior Engineer, Horticulture Department, explained over the phone that the contractor had planted the saplings, but people had stolen them. He lodged a complaint at Sector 3 police station, and they’ve asked the contractor to replant the flowers.
Navraj Singh, Executive Engineer, Horticulture Department, called on WhatsApp and appealed to post positive news, claiming that negative news would bring defamation to the department. He mentioned that they informed the contractor well in advance to plant the saplings. The contract for beautification on Jan Marg, from High Court Chowk to Sector 43, was awarded to Chhote Lal Mali for planting saplings at Rs 2 lakh and Pradeep Thekdar for maintenance at Rs 25 lakh.
People are expressing dissatisfaction, asserting that despite significant expenditures, the administration officials are failing to enhance the city’s aesthetics. Allegedly, footpaths built for pedestrians on public roads have been destroyed in the name of beautification, leading to public frustration. The Horticulture Department issued a tender for beautification, but the company that won the tender sub-sublet it to another contractor, causing confusion. At present, the site only has soil without any marigold plants. Gardeners Amrit and Vasudevan working on the spot revealed they work under a contractor, earning Rs 11,000 per month without knowledge of PF and ESI. They only know Umesh Babu and are unaware of the contractor’s identity.
Jigana Superintendent Engineer stated that the work was carried out to beautify the city, and the Horticulture Department had issued a tender for it. Due to illness, he plans to investigate the matter further on Monday.
