Gurugram civic body panel pushes for 67% hike in park upkeep rates

GURUGRAM: The committee constituted by the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) to fix the rate for maintenance of parks in the city has recommended a hike of nearly 67% from the existing Rs 3 per square metres (sqm) to Rs 5 sqm.

While RWAs have been saying the existing rate is sufficient for maintenance, the committee said that the cost has been revised in accordance with the deputy commissioner’s (DC) rates to be given to a gardener.

The committee, which comprises MCG officials and some councillors, was constituted in the last House meeting held on July 31. In the meeting, councillors had said a gardener in Gurgaon charges at least Rs 20,000 monthly.

According to the report submitted by the panel to MCG, if a gardener is employed as per the DC rates, the park maintenance rate should be Rs 5 per sqm. Of this amount, Rs 4 will be spent on the salary of gardeners and Rs 1 on gardening tools. The report will be tabled in the next House meeting.

“The hike has been proposed in accordance with labour laws. In Rs 5 per sqm, the EPF and ESI components in the salary of a gardener, besides gardening tools, can be covered. Maintenance of parks has suffered because efficient gardeners aren’t affordable at the existing rates,” said Subhash Yadav, nodal officer of MCG’s environment and sustainability wing.

According to the report, Gurgaon has a total of 875 parks, out of which 831 parks are maintained by the RWAs and ward committees. These parks have a total area of 24,61,980 sqm.

While most councillors are in favour of the hike, RWAs have opposed the decision. “We submitted a memorandum to the MCG commissioner recently, in which we had requested that upkeep of parks should be retained by RWAs. Moreover, another point that we made was that Rs 3 sqm is sufficient to maintain parks. Councillors want a hike in rates because a councillor is the head of the committee maintaining parks, and corruption is the only motive. Hike in rates would mean wastage of public money,” said Udaybir Yadav, president of Sector 10A RWA.

“We have been maintaining our parks very well. We don’t see any necessity for increasing the rate,” said Puneet Pahwa, general secretary of Sector 45 RWA.