Indian Express 17.12.2009

Now, Vidhan Sabha panel smells a road scam

The fuming members have sought record of the past three years of road construction from MC. The records will have to be given by January 31 and the Vidhan Sabha committee will come with its report by February end. “The guilty will not be spared. Many officers are likely to be indicted in this poor roads quality scam,” the members told Newsline.

The committee members did not deny that they had received complaints of many other roads as well which had broken just after 2-6 months of metalling. “This will expose scam worth crores, but let the records come before us first. Today was only an oral discussion,” said a member of the committee.

Apart from this, they even checked the pollution level in Buddha Nallah also. However they mentioned that after the installation of common effluent treatment plants, this problem would be solved to a great extent. The authorities have sought details of plantation drive in the city as well. Because they even smelled a rat in the purchase of plants and actual plantation. “Green cover in the city is not adequate, so records have been sought,” said the members.

Apart from this, details of the encroachments in the city, the cases pending in High Court etc have also been sought.

Virsa Singh Valtoha along with other MLAs was present in the meeting, which was attended by the MC commissioner A.K Sinha, Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura and many other officials of corporation, sewerage board, pollution board and a few other departments.

Panel admits grey areas

The committee members also admitted that they were not working up to the mark and hence were not able to tighten the noose around various departments. The members stated that regular interaction with the departments and their monitoring was a must to check the loopholes.

Indian Express 7.12.2009

Caught in ruckus, MC House blinks to approve fire academy

In a haste to end a recent House Meet, the councillors passed an agenda to set up a fire academy in the city without due discussion.

The agenda was the last one to be taken up just after the discussion on the exemption given to Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla from appearing in the House. Due to the ruckus created in the House, the agenda was passed without discussion.

The Mayor after her study tour to Gujarat had written a note to the Municipal Commissioner to get an agenda prepared for setting up a fire academy. The Commissioner constituted a committee consisting of Additional Commissioner P K Sharma, chairman of Fire and Emergency Services Committee Arshad Khan and Station Fire Officer M L Sharma to visit Delhi and study the fire academy of the Capital.

The committee observed that the fire academy in Delhi was set up on four acres of land and the total cost of the project was Rs 4 crore excluding the cost of land, vehicle, equipment, etc. While the strength of staff in the Delhi academy was 62 and 2,200 at the Delhi fire wing, the strength of the Fire and Emergency Services Wing of MC is 220. There are 50 fire stations in Delhi as against seven in Chandigarh.

The members observed that the proposal to set up a fire academy in Chandigarh is not economically viable and suggested that instead of setting up the academy, training in fire fighting can be imparted to the MC staff through outsourcing.

The MC had also received a letter from the National Fire Academy, Vadodara, asking for a permission to start Firemen’s Training course in Chandigarh.

While the MC passed the agenda to set up the academy, none of these options were discussed. The objections raised by the committee were also not considered.

Mayor Kamlesh said the issue will be resolved during the House Meet in December.

“Instead of spending money on imparting training to firemen after they are recruited, the fire academy will ensure that trained personnel are hired. The MC already has the requisite equipment for it,” she said.