By IANS,
Chandigarh: One of Chandigarh’s leading architects M.N. Sharma Thursday hit out at this union territory’s administration and “uninformed citizens” for the deteriorating standards of the city.
“Uninformed citizens and commercial greed is bringing the city to the level of other Indian cities which have deteriorated. Even if Chandigarh comes on the heritage list, the responsibility of maintaining its distinctive character and those of architectural monuments will rest on the administration, which is quite indifferent,” Sharma told reporters.
Chandigarh is one of country’s most well-planned city and was designed by legendary French architect Le Corbusier in 1950s. Sharma is a former chief architect of the city.
Condemning the Chandigarh administration, Sharma said that in the name of development, bye-laws and zoning regulations that define the character of the city are being flouted fearlessly.
“I do cannot understand how they are working. It seems that in the name of tourism they can do anything that is totally illogical. Many monuments and figures, situated in various sectors of Chandigarh, which define our heritage character, are facing utter neglect,” he said.
“Decision makers have a much greater responsibility to maintain the inherent character of Chandigarh. Each wrong decision causes damage to the distinct character of the city,” said Sharma.