Chandigarh, July 2 -- In response to mounting criticism from city councillors, mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and residents, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has scrapped its controversial Rs.1.86 crore tender floated for purchasing saplings for a citywide plantation campaign. The civic body has instead adopted a cost-effective approach by engaging private banks, Rotary clubs and corporate firms to contribute under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The move comes after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Chandigarh administration to plant 5 lakh trees, with 1.5 lakh to be planted by the municipal corporation, as part of efforts to boost the city's green cover. In June, the MC issued a Rs.1.86 crore t...