The issue has escalated into a significant dispute between the Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Union Territory (UT) administration. The general house categorically denied the allocation of spaces for EV charging stations within parking lots, citing the lack of communication and discussion with the house members regarding the EV policy.
At a moment when the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has not yet designated areas for charging stations in its parking spaces – despite persistent efforts from the UT administration to encourage this initiative – the city’s traders have started to voice their opposition to the proposed plan, citing concerns of overcrowding in market areas.
A delegation from the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM), a collective body representing the city’s traders, convened with Mayor Anup Gupta this Friday. During the meeting, they appealed to him to prevent the establishment of charging stations in the already congested marketplaces.
This issue has led to a significant disagreement between the MC and the UT administration. The general house has refused to allocate plots for charging stations within parking lots, arguing that the EV policy was not forwarded to the MC, nor was it deliberated upon with house members. Conversely, the UT administration has been urging the MC to designate areas for this cause, as incorporating charging stations is a stipulation of the EV policy.
In a formal document handed to the mayor, the members of the CBM emphasized their request, stating, “We urged not to allow EV charging stations in parking lots in congested markets.”
Following the discussions with the traders, Mayor Gupta conveyed that, given the MC’s prior dismissal of the proposal during a general house assembly, the subject will now be discussed further with the home secretary of the Chandigarh administration.
