THE CHANDIGARH Municipal Corporation will spend a whopping Rs 75.59 lakh on the Rose Festival, which will be held at the Rose Garden, Sector 16, from February 22 to 24. This is a big jump from the sum of Rs 55 lakh the civic body had spent on the fest last year. A year earlier in 2017, it had made do with Rs 49 lakh. Advertising While the funding has been hiked, the varieties of roses on display have fallen from 824 last year to 729. Officials in the horticulture department attributed it to the work on the subway connecting the Rose Garden to Sector 17. Certain varieties that were uprooted will be replanted in October. Claiming to be taken aback at this budget, Mayor Rajesh Kalia has constituted 18 organising committees consisting of councillors and officials to supervise the expenditure and the work. “House mein approve karvane ke baad jab ye Rose Festival ho jata tha, ye afsar kisi ko hisab kitab hi nahi dete the. Rose festival ka ab maine 18 committee bana di…jo supervise karenge or nazar be rakhenge ki kharcha actually kahan or kitna ho raha hai (Earlier, officials would get the budget approved in the House and then give no details of the spendong. This time I will oversee the entire expenditure),” Kalia said. As per details, the tents, furniture on rent for the guests and a control room for “lost and found inquiry” will alone cost Rs 25 lakh. A piano recital at the inaugural ceremony will cost Rs 1 lakh while Rs 3.90 lakh will be spent on mementoes for chief guest, chairman and sub-committee members. In this digital age, a sum of Rs 4.15 lakh will be spent on entry forms for competitions, booklets of rules and other brochures. The MC has prepared estimates of Rs 7.50 lakh for light and sound system, while the machhans for security purpose will be erected for Rs 2.47 lakh. A steep Rs 5.50 lakh will be spent on decorating the entry and exit gates, topiary figures and the tunnels. Just the barricading of the boundary walls with nylon ropes will cost Rs 80,000. Refreshments to guests and judges of different competitions will cost Rs 3 lakh, while the publicity will be done for Rs 2.50 lakh. Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla recalled how the festival used to cost only Rs 8-10 lakh when it started. Advertising According to the details, funds ‘required’ for Rose Prince and Princess competition will be Rs 2.60 lakh, just for an antakshiri and photography competition too, it will cost Rs 1.70 lakh each. Boarding and lodging of the NZCC folk dance participants will be done at a cost of Rs 2 lakh.

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