Local Government Minister Balkar Singh Honors Winners of City Beauty Competition

Chandigarh: Balkar Singh, Local Government Minister, distributed trophies and certificates to the winners at a State Level ceremony held at Punjab Municipal Bhawan, Sector 35, Chandigarh. He expressed his satisfaction with the quality of entries and announced that more initiatives would be taken to encourage and recognize the transformative efforts made by cities and wards across the State in creating beautiful, innovative, and inclusive public spaces.

      Local Government Minister Balkar Singh said that The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India, organized the City Beauty Competition, wherein Municipal Corporations and Councils from various cities participated. A total of 46 entries from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State qualified for the competition. The competition focused on judging wards and public spaces against five key pillars: Accessibility, Amenities, Activities, Aesthetics, and Ecology. Aesthetics held the maximum weightage of 50%.

       Balkar Singh further added that after a thorough evaluation by a jury consisting of Town Planners, Heritage, Environment, and Fine Arts Experts, the top five entries in different categories were selected. The winners include UBDC Canal Waterfront Project in Amritsar for the Waterfront category, goal Bagh Amrit Project for the Park category, Sarabha Nagar Ward in Ludhiana for the Ward category, Phase-3B2 Market in SAS Nagar for the Commercial Space category, and the Redevelopment of Walled City Project near Golden Temple in Amritsar for the Heritage category.

      Minister Balkar Singh recommended these five winning entries to the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India, for participation in the National Level City Beauty Competition. This signifies the commitment of the State towards fostering aesthetically pleasing and sustainable urban environments.