493 bookings for events worth Rs 66 lakh cancelled, city residents seek refund

The city residents have been seeking their refund from the Municipal Corporation that manages the community centres.

A total of 493 bookings for weddings, anniversary and retirement parties that were scheduled to be held in various community centres of Chandigarh, between March 22 and May 31 were cancelled due to the pandemic.

A total of Rs 65.98 lakh booking amount paid by the city residents is stuck in the government departments, the refund of which will be discussed during the general house meeting on Friday.

The city residents have been seeking their refund from the Municipal Corporation that manages the community centres.

A senior official said that even due to the lockdown, the use of community centers has been disallowed by the central government, because of a ban on gatherings. Thus, the civic body is accepting no further bookings for the community centres.

Meanwhile, of the Rs 65.98 lakh booking amount stuck with the civic body, Rs 55.51 lakh is the rent amount, Rs 10.07 lakh is the GST and Rs 40,000 is the cleaning charges. “People are pressing hard for the refund of the entire amount on the account of the coronavirus outbreak, followed by the curfew, lockdown and the other preventive measures,” the Municipal Corporation’s agenda stated.

It was also specified that the civic body had deposited the GST amount with the Excise and Taxation department. The agenda said that the provisions of refund of advance GST for services cancelled is specified in documents.

Moreover, the civic officials said that situation was still uncertain. “It is pertinent to mention that situation is indefinite and it is also being faced by people who had booked the community centers or parks for a date after May 31.

As such there is a need to make such provisions in the policy or guidelines for existing or similar future calamities,” the agenda further stated.

Parking company also seeks refund

Two parking companies have also sought refund from the Municipal Corporation, citing the pandemic. An agenda in this regard will be placed in the general house on Friday. The charge to manage paid parking lots was taken from January and February this year.

Two companies had taken over the paid parking lot for Rs 5.01 crore and Rs 5.51 crore per annum. Both have now requested the corporation to refund or compensate in view of the lockdown.

Report on relief operations

A comprehensive report about the works of the different departments of the civic body during the pandemic will be presented by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation before the general house. Besides the works the Public Health wing, an agenda mentioned that Rs 11.08 lakh was on masks, sodium hypochloride and sanitisers.

It also stated that approximately Rs 14.41 lakh was spent on works done by the Building and Roads wing, involving fixing of tents, sound system in grain markets and CCTV camera installations.