Panchkula bus queue shelters in neglect

PANCHKULA: Apathy of MC and advertising contractors has contributed to the city's bus queue shelters being in a pathetic condition. Though MC had allotted tenders to private contractors, these queue shelters are ill-maintained, with there being no chairs, cleaning facilities or shelters for passengers.
There is a total of 54 bus queue shelters in Panchkula, and many of these are unclean, seeped in water and occupied by stray dogs and cattle.With there being dilly-dallying in maintenance of bus queue shelters, the public has been an inconvenienced lot. People resent that MC has allotted to private companies tenders for maintenance, but the firms are not taking any initiative to get on with it.
Meanwhile, MC Panchkula has been drawing benefit from advertisers. Residents have been waiting for fresh tenders, but to no avail. Loss of revenue on this account has contributed to the miserable condition of bus shelters. Stands where one has to queue up are in a shambles, making for an ordeal. Not one of the 54 bus-shelters has a different story to tell. Sources revealed that in February 2009, Panchkula MC had allotted to a private company a tender for advertisement in 54 bus shelters, for around Rs 90 lakh.
MC had signed up with a contractor a five-year agreement pertaining to advertisements, but the agreement soon fell apart, throwing the project out of gear. Since then, Panchkula administration has not finalized the file for allotting tenders. Owing to this delay, MC stands to lose revenue amounting to Rs 90 lakh, sources added. SK Nayyar, president of Citizen Welfare Association, said MC is generating huge revenue from advertisements, but the amount is not used to maintain the city.
MC officials are delaying revision of the advertisement policy for no reason, which is turning out to be a nuisance for residents. Bus queue shelters could have been in a better condition if they had used the revenue appropriately, he added. Report submission In February 2009, a three-member team submitted a report in this matter. After finalization of tenders, MC had given private contractors powers for maintenance of bus queue shelters. But as of now, almost half of the bus queue shelters are in a poor condition.
MC Panchkula had entered into a contract with a private company for five years, under which, the civic body will get around 6.50 crore rupees from the firm. As per the state advertising policy 2010 Outdoor advertising should not be hazardous to traffic Advertisement rights should not be given for more than three years The advertisers should reserve 15% space for government advertisements