General

Civic body begins sixth economic census

Thursday, 07 November 2013 11:28 administrator

The Times of India 07.11.2013

Civic body begins sixth economic census

KOLHAPUR: The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) started the sixth economic census in the city on Wednesday. As part of the exercise, the civic body organized a training session for its workers and others at Keshavrao Bhosale Natyagriha in the afternoon.

Altogether 125 youths and 40 employees of the KMC participated in the session. The economic census, which is being undertaken by the Union government, is to be completed by November 15.

The workers will go from door to door and shop to shop to gather information regarding economic activities carried out by people, families and individuals.

Soon after the training session concluded, the workers and youths began the actual work. Ashok Yadav, census officer in the KMC, said, "While conducting the census, we will take note of all the business activities under the jurisdiction of the civic body. The participants have been trained to visit every household in the city and note down every activity of everyone from retailers to wholesalers. They need not take down the details of the family members and take note of only business-related activities run by the family".

"The population of Kolhapur is around 5.5 lakh and we were expecting around 230 youths to participate in the census," Yadav said.

"We did not appeal to anybody to participate in the drive and help us complete the census. We only asked NGOs and groups of senior citizens in the city to spread the message among unemployed youths to register themselves and participate in the census. Altogether 125 youths have approached us so far and we need 100 more to complete the census by November 15, which is the deadline to submit the details to the statistical department," Yadav said.

Households with retail shops, photocopy machines, ice-cream parlours, beauty parlours and cottage industry will be registered by census officials. Through the census, the KMC officials expect to register around 28,000 business establishments. During the last census, the civic body had recorded 23,000 businesses in the city.

"The census was to start from October 1 but due to some official obstacles, we could not initiate the programme before Diwali. Now, the pressure is mounting on us to complete it by November 15 which seems difficult. We expect the government to extend the date till November 30," Yadav added.

Now, complain box at RMC; 55 ward offices next in line

Tuesday, 05 November 2013 06:12 administrator

The Times of India 05.11.2013

Now, complain box at RMC; 55 ward offices next in line

RANCHI: Citizens having problems in getting their work done from the Ranchi Municipal Corporation, now have a place to lodge their complaints.

A complain and suggestion box was installed at the RMC premises on Saturday where visitors to the civic body can drop any kind of complaint or suggestion in writing.

Deputy mayor Sanjiv Vijayavargiya said, "Hundreds of people come to Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) everyday but have no idea about where to go and whom to contact for the redressal of their grievances. Besides, they don't even get a proper response from officials. Now that a complain box has been put in place, a person facing any kind of problem can write a complaint and drop it in the box and we can then take appropriate action. We are also inviting suggestions from people and will follow them if needed."

It will be the turn of the offices of all the 55 wards next for the installation of a complain box. "People have a host of problems and not all of them can approach the ward councillors. Once the complain box finds a place in ward offices, the councillor will get to know about all the problems in his ward," said Vijayvargiya.

A lokayukta will also be appointed in the RMC office to look into the matters of corruption in the office. The deputy CEO of RMC, S K Lal said, "Appointing a lokayukta in municipal corporations is compulsory under the Jharkhand Municipal Act 2011. The draft for appointment, powers and functions of lokayukta is almost ready and we can expect the appointment of lokayukta by November 15."

After the installation of complain box and appointment of lokayukta, one can expect RMC to be more efficient and corruption free.

Vijayavargiya said, "We have been getting several complaints regarding the rampant corruption and indifferent attitude of RMC employees. This explains why both Lokayukta and complain box were needed. If things go as planned, by next year we can have a corruption-free corporation."

Waste treatment plant turns a profitable venture here

Monday, 04 November 2013 05:11 administrator

The Hindu 04.11.2013

Waste treatment plant turns a profitable venture here

The workers at the biodegradable waste treatment plant at the Kumily grama panchayat at Murikkady in Idukki district.– Photo: By Special Arrangement

The biodegradable waste treatment plant at Murikkady, started in 2009, has become a permanent source of income for the workers employed here. It has a vermicompost unit producing manure. The Clean Kumily and Green Kumily Society, which paved the way for setting up the plant, is making an income of Rs. 60,000 per month through the sale of manure and collection of waste.

“In fact, the waste collection was started on a small scale in 2006 but after the formation of the society the plant provided a solution to manage all the biodegradable waste generated in the Kumily grama panchayat,” said the society manager Aisy Prasanth.

Great demand

Currently, the plant employs 20 workers. The manure produced at the plant is in great demand, especially among the cardamom planters.The manager said it took at least 90 days for the vermicompost unit to produce manure from the waste. She added that at times the society was not able meet the demand from the buyers.

A-grade manure is sold at a rate of Rs.6 per kg and the second grade is sold at Rs.3 per kg. She said the product was popular among farmers since cow dung was also added to the manure.

The society charges Rs.150 -Rs.3, 000 for the collection of waste depending on the quantity. The workers collect waste from hotels, resorts, vegetable shops and even from the venue of a function such as a marriage.

They also collect waste from household units in areas where more number of people are staying.

The society’s executive committee has representatives from the business community, the police, the Periyar Tiger Reserve and the agriculture office.

The grama panchayat president is the chairman of the society.

NMC employees to get curtailed bonus by March

Friday, 01 November 2013 08:52 administrator

The Times of India 01.11.2013

NMC employees to get curtailed bonus by March

NASIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Thursday said the curtailed amount in the Diwali ex-gratia amounting to Rs. 2,000 is now to be deposited in the accounts of municipal employees by March end.

The decision to this effect was taken by the municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare following meeting with the city mayor Yatin Wagh, the chairman of the standing committee of NMC Ramesh Dhongade and other officials on Thursday.

Earlier, the Municipal Municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare on Wednesday had announced Rs 11,111 as Diwali ex-gratia for NMC employees, rejecting the elected representatives' proposal of Rs 13,111 as the amount on the ground of financial constraints.

The city mayor Yatin Wagh said, "I had meeting with the municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare to revise his decision of giving Diwali ex-gratia amount as decided earlier by the civic body. Considering the financial condition of municipal corporation, it has been decided give curtailed ex-gratia amount of Rs. 2,000 to municipal employees by March end."

Mayor Yatin Wagh had revised the ex-gratia amount to Rs 13,111 from his initial announcement of Rs 11,111 on October 23 after the opposition party leaders demanded the revision and stormed out of a meeting. Wagh later sent the proposal to the municipal commissioner. But after a meeting with the officials of the accounts department, the commissioner cut down the ex-gratial to Rs. 11,100 for each employee.

Municipal body to give Rs 33 crore to PMPML

Thursday, 31 October 2013 11:37 administrator

The Times of India 31.10.2013

Municipal body to give Rs 33 crore to PMPML

PUNE: The financially-strapped PMPML will get Rs 33.29 crore from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for meeting the expenses it incurred for issuing free and concessional travel passes to students and citizens.

The beleaguered city transport body is monetarily dependent on the municipal corporations of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) released its share of Rs 22.5 crore in August. The PMC's contribution was pending as it sought to recover all previous loans given to the PMPML.

The transport undertaking gives free travel passes to over 50,000 students of primary and secondary schools besides senior citizens and other groups. The PMC and the PCMC had agreed to reimburse the expenses which runs into crores. The PMPML, however, struggles to recover the amount from the two corporations.

PMPML officials said the transport undertaking had spent over Rs 33.29 crore in the last financial year for the free and concessional travel passes issued to students, senior citizens, and other groups. Accordingly, the PMPML had asked the municipal corporation to disburse the amount. PMPML officials said the municipal corporation has agreed to pay the amount.

The PMC had earlier tabled a proposal before the general body which listed a series of conditions that the PMPML was required to meet before the amount could be disbursed. The conditions were so harsh that the PMPML could have never fulfilled them.

Of the many conditions, one was that the amount was to be disbursed from the current financial year's (2013-14) budget and it be regarded as disbursement for bus passes for the year 2013-14.

Various civic departments had examined the details of the PMPML's expenses on the pass schemes. The departments said that Rs 30 crore should be allocated and the powers to disburse should be given to the municipal commissioner. Another condition was that the PMC would first recover Rs 10 crore which was given to the PMPML before as a temporary loan. Also, all amounts given by various civic departments to the PMPML were to be recovered first.

The municipal corporation had earlier disbursed a loan to the transport undertaking through a fixed deposit of Rs 30.2 crore. The corporation also sought to recover the principal amount along with the interest. PMC's proposal said that PMPML should repay all its loans before March 2014, and also issue free travel passes to employees of PMC's municipal secretariat.