Chandigarh: Calling for a shift towards sustainable urban mobility and stronger grassroots governance, Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria Monday urged civic bodies to provide affordable and efficient public transport, increase paid parking charges to discourage private vehicle use, ensure effective door-to-door garbage collection, and improve the maintenance of sewerage networks.Addressing the All India Mayors’ Conference in Chandigarh, Kataria stressed that cities need a cheap and reliable public transport system to persuade residents to leave their private vehicles at home. He said parking charges should be raised substantially to discourage excessive dependence on personal vehicles.The remarks assume significance for Chandigarh, where repeated proposals to revise parking rates have failed to secure approval from the municipal corporation’s elected wing over the past several years.Highlighting the city’s transition to green mobility, Kataria said Chandigarh’s public transport fleet is steadily moving towards clean energy and that all buses are expected to be electric by the end of 2027.He also pitched for stronger waste management practices, suggesting that economically weaker sections be exempted from garbage collection charges to encourage wider participation in door-to-door waste collection. Emphasising citizen engagement, he said elected representatives should remain accessible to the public and focus on resolving day-to-day civic concerns.Batting for greater decentralisation, Kataria advocated the formation of municipal committees and criticised the tendency to concentrate decision-making powers. He said development works are delivered more effectively when responsibilities are distributed rather than centralised.The issue is particularly relevant for Chandigarh MC, where committees were constituted only once during the current five-year term ending in Dec, leaving much of the decision-making burden on the finance and contract committee and the general house.Kataria also flagged concerns over inflated project estimates and called for third-party scrutiny of tenders to ensure financial prudence and transparency in public works.Box: Green cover, solar push and cleanliness in focusEnvironment protection and cleanliness figured prominently in Kataria’s address. Praising Chandigarh for increasing its green cover to 51%, he said the next focus should be on encouraging private households to install rooftop solar systems. Stressing that cleanliness is a shared responsibility, he said civic hygiene must become part of people’s daily mindset and behaviour.
