MC fails to make money from its eight dhobi ghats in city

Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 18

Properties worth crores at dhobi ghats in various sectors of the city earn nothing for the cash-starved Municipal Corporation. While these properties are being used by people for commercial purpose, the MC gets nothing in the absence of any policy.

There are eight dhobi ghats, which were transferred to the MC when it was formed in 1996. Since then, no policy was framed depriving the civic body of revenue the properties could generate.

Four months ago, Mayor Davesh Moudgil had formed a committee to frame a policy. The committee is yet to submit its report.

Heera Negi, chairman of the committee, said the operation of dhobi ghats required a detailed policy. She said members of the committee had visited the dhobi ghats and found these being used by some people without paying a single penny to the MC. The occupiers have been served notices to give their details.

She said the condition of dhobi ghats was not good, adding that their report was ready and would be submitted to the Mayor soon.

The MC had started a pilot project of “modern dhobi ghat” in Sector 15 to facilitate the area residents but the project was abruptly shelved in 2008 due to non-payment of electricity bills.

After the failure of the project, the civic body authorities had abandoned the modernisation and upgradation of three other dhobi ghats, which was to be done at a cost of over Rs 1 crore.

Charanjiv Singh, nominated councillor, said the Municipal Corporation should provide facilities at dhobi ghats so that residents and washermen could derive benefit from these.

Another councilor said all dhobi ghats could be given to a private company, which could run these in lieu of payment to the civic body.