Rs 13-lakh push to revive laser show at Sector 17 fountain

Visitors to Sector 17 here will soon get to enjoy the laser show on a water screen near the musical fountain at the Plaza with the Municipal Corporation issuing a tender for the operation and maintenance of the setup. The show, which is a major tourist attraction, has not been held for the past many days.

The Rs 13-lakh tender was floated after local councillor Saurabh Joshi took up the matter of reviving the show with the higher authorities.

Joshi said he had been receiving complaints from traders as well as the residents that the fountain was not functioning properly. He said stringent terms and conditions had been included in the tender to make the fountain functional.

He said he had also demanded that the timings for the laser show should be displayed at the spot for the benefit of the public.

Meanwhile, the traders said the laser show at the fountain was held occasionally. Sanjeev Chadha, president of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said this is a good move by the MC. It will help rejuvenate the Plaza. Sector 17 is one of the places visited by a lot of tourists every day. The traders are committed to providing all support to rejuvenate the Plaza and make it a major tourist spot. The fountain has not been functioning for many days, he said.

Another trader said the fountain had been built at cost of over Rs 3 crore 10 years ago.

The MC must ensure that it should run properly. It has not been cleaned for years. He said it was a welcome step that the MC had finally woken up and decided to float the tender for running the laser-show.

Chander Bajaj, another trader, said after visiting Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake and Capitol Complex, tourists come here to enjoy the evening and shopping. If the musical fountain starts functioning properly, the visitors will get to fully enjoy their evenings here.

Chandigarh