Panchkula MC to discuss property tax waiver in its first General House meeting

Panchkula: The Panchkula municipal corporation will hold its first General House meeting on June 16 at the PWD Rest House to deliberate on key development agendas, including turning Ward No.

4 into a model cleanliness ward and implementing a one-time interest waiver on pending property tax dues. The meeting will be chaired by mayor Shyam Lal Bansal, with invitations extended to MP Varun Kumar, MLA Chander Mohan, and MLA Shakti Rani Sharma alongside multi-department officials.Submitted by councillor Bharat Hiteshi, the proposed property tax amnesty seeks to waive nearly ₹20 crore in accumulated interest on a total outstanding debt of over ₹100 crore, aiming to recover the core principal amount to boost civic finances.

Hiteshi has also demanded the immediate suspension of garbage user charges until door-to-door waste collection expands past its current 50% coverage to include all municipal households.For the Ward No. 4 model initiative, the proposal outlines a strict sanitation blueprint requiring streets to be swept thrice a week, daily lifting of garden waste with dedicated trolleys, daily door-to-door garbage collection, and regular mechanical cleaning of major roads to eliminate litter points.

It further requests 20 additional sanitation workers for Sectors 9 and 10, alongside extra bush cutters and maintenance staff.Civic infrastructure is also slated for a major overhaul, beginning with a proposal to vacate and demolish the dilapidated old community centre in Sector 9, currently occupied by the health department’s malaria wing. The staff will be relocated to pave the way for a modern community centre.

Additionally, the agenda addresses severe waterlogging in Sectors 9 and 10 by demanding the completion of pending sump well projects near houses 465 and 486 in Sector 10, and house 702 in Sector 9.Other agendasThe House will review proposals for cleaning underground stormwater drains using super-suction machines, upgrading rainwater drainage networks, and installing LED streetlights. Infrastructure requests include recarpeting remaining roads in Sectors 9 and 10, rebuilding the damaged stretch behind Sector 9 showrooms, laying a concrete drain from Sector 19 to the national highway, and replacing aging sewer lines in Fatehpur and Maheshpur villages.Broader development goals feature the creation of recreation centres, libraries, indoor sports hubs, and a Dr BR Ambedkar library and art gallery in Ward 17. Proposals also cover building a sports stadium, community centre, and dharamshala in Chandi Kotla village, adding sports facilities to a Sector 20 park, and fixing roads inside markets and group housing societies.Finally, the House will tackle urban management issues, looking into permanent solutions for the monkey menace in Sector 25 and stray animals citywide. Immediate public health and market measures on the agenda include regular disease-prevention fogging, targeted anti-encroachment drives, modernizing the Sector 25 market toilets, and repairing community restrooms and Anganwadi buildings in Khadak Mangoli and Nada Sahib.