As the UT administration has finally issued direction to the municipal corporation of Chandigarh to allocate space at paid parking lots for electric vehicle (EV) charging points, the matter is all set to come up in the monthly general house meeting of the civic body scheduled on coming Tuesday. With the MC being asked to present the compliance report of the issued order soon in order to start the process to earmark space at the lots, it will be crucial to see what decision is made in the House.
“It is very significant as this time, the local bodies department of the UT administration has issued the order. The MC will have to give the compliance report. Though the MC has the right to give some suggestions, ideas, if any they have on the issue, it will have to file the compliance report based on the given orders. Since the general house is the supreme decision and policy making body of the MC, which comprises all municipal councillors and officers, its decision will be considered as the final one from the civic body’s side,” said an official aware of the details.
The move gains more prominence this time as the BJP-led general house in July’s meeting had rejected the agenda pertaining to allow charging stations at the paid parking lots of the city. Mayor Anup Gupta had cited the reason behind rejection as the EV policy did not come before the members of the House for detailed discussion and their suggestions, which was why it was not passed.
The Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) of the UT administration had sent the proposal to the MC a couple of months ago for installation of the EV charging stations at paid parking lots. It had suggested the 50:50 equal sharing basis income from the charging vehicles. The CREST had identified and subsequently demanded for 32 paid parking sites throughout the city to set up EV stations with 183 charging guns.
