Chandigarh Civic body proposes Rs 1.11 crore budget for Rose Festival-2025
The Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to propose a budget of Rs 1.11 crore for the three-day annual Rose Festival, scheduled to be held in February 2025. The proposal will be tabled for discussion and approval in the upcoming MC House meeting on October 29.
MC officials stated that the festival would follow the pattern of previous years and would see various competitions, inaugural and closing ceremonies, and other recreational activities. The return of the popular helicopter joyride, which had earlier attracted large crowds but was missing last year, remains under consideration.
For the 2024 Rose Festival, the civic body had allocated Rs 98.76 lakh, a trimmed budget compared to earlier editions, with the light-and-sound show and the helicopter ride notably absent. This time, the MC is aiming to restore some of the festival’s lost charm by reconsidering the inclusion of the helicopter ride, which used to be a major attraction at the event.
New recruitment rules for fire staff
The House will also deliberate on revised recruitment rules for fire and rescue services. The MC plans to adopt new rules in line with the Central Government guidelines and the practices followed in other UTs.
The key changes include gender-neutral terminology. The term “firemen” will be replaced with “firefighter” to reflect increasing female participation. There will be revised physical requirements. The physical measurement standards will be streamlined to ensure they are inclusive of both male and female recruits. The post of Station Fire Officer will now become a promotional post. Earlier, it was filled through direct recruitment.
The MC will also consider the recruitment policies for administrative posts, including clerk, steno, senior assistant and superintendent, which are being prepared by the establishment branch.
