Tribune News Service

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, November 9

Far from offering an array of delicacies to residents, city’s second food street in Sector 48 is an abandoned mess, nearly eight years after it was unveiled by the Municipal Corporation.

The site has been taken over by wild overgrowth with stagnant water and dumped vehicles around it. A large peepal tree has come up on the premises, damaging the existing structure. Part of a booth’s door has been damaged, and power points and plumbing stolen.

Plight of facility

• Wild overgrowth with stagnant water
• Vehicles dumped around it
• Part of booth’s door has been damaged
• Power, plumbing equipment stolen

Unveiled in 2014

• Rs 28 lakh spent on building the food street in Sector 48
• 6 booths were planned to operate from 7 am to 10 pm daily
• 3 tenders were floated, booths taken once, but given up later

Proposed to offer food both during day and night time, Rs 28 lakh was spent on building the facility, comprising six booths, which was inaugurated in February 2014.

Tenders were floated thrice but the MC was successful in renting out the booths only once. However, the shopkeepers struggled to break even and surrendered these, citing viability concerns. Since then, the booths have been lying vacant.

Will approach Adviser

I will take up the issue with UT Adviser. A team of UT and MC officials should be formed to work out a plan to run this place professionally.— Rajinder Sharma, Area councillor

“The entire area around the food stalls is full of encroachers. Why would they pay rent when others can sell the same stuff without having to pay a penny? The corporation should first remove illegal eateries operating outside,” says then Deputy Mayor and former area councillor Davesh Moudgil.

“These food stalls were to run from 7 am to 10 pm. Located right on the V4 road with a huge parking space, the facility had great potential. But the MC failed to address concerns and now it has turned into a white elephant,” he added.

JJ Singh, president, Residents Welfare Association, Sector 48, laments: “Had the authorities lowered the rent, the booths would have been disposed of. The MC could have ensured proper maintenance of the facility. With the site having been abandoned, it has become a den of anti-social elements.”

Area councillor Rajinder Sharma says: “There is no harm in turning it into a night food street. There is no such eating point in this area and the project has the potential to turn into a popular eating joint.” “I will take up the issue with the UT Adviser. A team of UT Administration and MC officials should be formed to work out a plan to run this place professionally,” he adds.

MC officials, however, say their repeated proposals to make such properties freehold and lower the market rate have been overlooked by the UT Administration.