Chandigarh can’t be an oasis: Capt

‘‘It hints at problems that lie ahead,’’ he cautioned, adding that Chandigarh could not expect to remain an oasis of excellence when cities around it were falling apart. Citing the example of Patiala and Ludhiana, where essentials like water supply and sewerage had caved in under the weight of the population, he said he was amenable to the idea of another city, but only after careful deliberation.

Taking a dig at his predecessor, he said: ‘‘I don’t want to develop a city to make money like Anandgarh. First, we’ve to study factors like water, waste management etc.”

NP Singh, director, Indian Express, began with a good news. A Citizen’s Poll held by The Indian Express found that most of the residents were satisfied with 11 of the 17 parameters given in the ‘quality of life’ survey. Then came the bad news: 69 pc of them were fed up with the civic services while 53 pc were unhappy with ‘community living’.

Concluding the meet, Resident Editor Vipin Pubby said the interaction was just a beginning: ‘‘We are always ready to offer a platform to residents to convey their point of view.”