Chandigarh MC’s cash crunch: Chrysanthemum show blossoms today, but no prizes for blushing blooms
The Chrysanthemum Show, a unique highlight of the city’s annual cultural calendar, has been a crowd-puller over the years, attracting garden lovers, florists and horticulture enthusiasts
The highly anticipated Annual Chrysanthemum Show, organised by the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) at Terraced Garden in Sector 33, is set to begin on Friday.
However, for the first time in its history, the event will take place without any prizes or flower competitions for floral enthusiasts, a result of the civic body’s crippling financial crunch.
The Chrysanthemum Show, a unique highlight of the city’s annual cultural calendar, has been a crowd-puller over the years, attracting garden lovers, florists and horticulture enthusiasts. Over the years, MC has recognised and rewarded citizens who display exceptional skills in cultivating flowers.
This year, however, due to MC’s ongoing financial struggles, these incentives have been axed, leaving the event without the usual competitive spirit. Only participation certificates will be distributed to residents contributing their prized possessions for the event, where the civic body also presents its flowers.
In September this year, the finance panel of MC had approved a total of ₹25 lakh for the three-day 37th Chrysanthemum Show 2024. But amid its fiscal mess, the budget for this year’s event saw a drastic cut to ₹3.5 lakh only.
With limited funds in hand, the civic body officials decided to scale-down the event, keeping their focus only on the display of flowers this time.
Floral enthusiasts miffed
Residents and gardening enthusiasts expressed their disappointment over the curtailed format.
“The competition has always been the highlight of the show. It’s a platform for us to showcase our hard work and passion as we start growing the flowers over six months in advance. We do not want cash prizes, but a competition should have been organised to keep the event’s spirit alive. For the past few years, MC was giving away trophies and we were happy with it. Without prizes, the excitement is missing this year,” said director of the Gurukul chain of schools, Sanjay Thareja.
Thareja and his wife, Dr Rajni Thareja, who have been participating in the event for several years, had won 19 prizes at the show last year.
“Due to budget constraints, we are unable to organise competitions and distribute prizes this year. The show will still be held to uphold the tradition and showcase beautiful flowers to the public,” explained MC officials.