Education

BBMP proposes five degree colleges, BU approves four

Monday, 30 July 2012 04:26 administrator

The Hindu 30.07.2012

BBMP proposes five degree colleges, BU approves four

Chitra V. Ramani

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has ambitious plans of establishing five new degree colleges. However, there is a dampener as Bangalore University has approved of only four of them.

According to BBMP sources, these colleges were proposed to be set up in Cleveland Town, Mathikere, Dispensary Road, Magadi Road and Byraveshwara Nagar.

The civic authority has a degree college at Kasturba Nagar that offers arts and commerce courses.

The sources said that these colleges would function only from the next academic year. “We wanted to start this year itself. However, permission from the university and the government was delayed,” they added. The BBMP had been confident that Bangalore University would approve it as there is demand for seats in its pre-university colleges. “The next logical step would be to start degree colleges,” the sources added.

Bangalore University Registrar B.C. Mylarappa said the university’s Local Inquiry Committee (LIC) had inspected the five colleges. “It, however, cleared only four. The BBMP has proposed to offer BA, B.Com, BCA and BBM in the new colleges,” he said.

Conceding the delay, Prof. Mylarappa said: “The LICs were actually supposed to submit their reports by March 31 to the State government. Due to the delay, the reports were sent only recently. The BBMP may be able to start the colleges from the next academic year.”

BBMP sources said that the civic authority would be able to start the colleges only after the government issues a gazette notification. “We hope to outsource teachers for the colleges, but can do so only after the gazette notification is published,” they added.

Meanwhile, university sources said that the delay was mainly because the new guidelines for LICs were prepared late by a special committee. “This delay has affected the BBMP’s plans of starting the colleges this academic year,” the sources added.

These colleges will start functioning only from the next academic year
There was a delay in framing guidelines for Local Inquiry Committees

Last Updated on Monday, 30 July 2012 04:34

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation yet to wake up to bio meet

Monday, 23 July 2012 11:19 administrator

The Times of India 23.07.2012

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation yet to wake up to bio meet

The writer has posted comments on this articleTNN | Jul 23, 2012, 01.04AM IST

HYDERABAD: The prestigious XI Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is just two months away from kick-off, but the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is yet to get its act together. The result: crucial work required to provide the much-needed facelift to Hyderabad before it rolls out the red carpet for over 8,000 delegates, including several heads of state, from 194 nations, is way behind schedule.

This despite chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy fixing May end as the deadline for GHMC to complete the tender process and finalize contractors to execute the works. Also, though a list of key civic repair and beautification works was proposed a few months ago, only 20% of the work has been completed so far thanks to GHMC's inability to wind up even the tender process. "The only works that have begun are art works and murals on flyovers like Telugu Thalli flyover and greenery works under flyovers," said a senior GHMC official.

As part of the COP-11 preparation, GHMC had decided to re-carpet arterial roads leading from the airport as well as major hotels and tourist spots to the venue - HICC - totalling over 100 kms, in addition to correcting dividers, repairing broken central medians and pavements by replacing tiles as well as improving storm water drainage systems along the identified stretches on top priority.

While poor response from contractors has held up some drain improvement and road work tenders, especially those costing between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore, the task of erecting signages on 17 roads and key locations is expected to be delayed as one of the firms that lost out on a tender has challenged GHMC's decision in the AP high court. And while the proposed revival of 25 defunct fountains at key locations is yet to be started, the basic work of removing hanging cables and electricity wires, old signages, flexies, ad boards and posters, which make the roads look ugly and pose a threat to the motorists, has begun half-heartedly in a few locations.

The ongoing monsoons are expected to be another major dampner to GHMC even if it does wake up at the last minute because certain jobs like re-carpeting, painting as well as lane marking on roads cannot be taken up during rains, especially when even slight showers are enough to leave the city's bitumen roads ridden with potholes, as officials themselves admit.

While GHMC chief engineer K Suresh Kumar claimed they would complete all the work during dry spells before the COP 11 begins on October 1 despite all hurdles, GHMC officials admit it may be too late not only to complete all the scheduled work before September end, but the quality of work too may not be up to the mark, sending a lot of public money down the drain.

"Even if the tenders are finalized now, drain improvement works will take over two months to complete. Road works cannot be taken up now due to rains and even if roads were to be refurbished in September just before the convention there is no guarantee the roads would be intact because of monsoon," a senior GHMC official said.

Even Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), which has been sanctioned Rs 15 crore for beautification of Necklace Road area under Budha Purnima Project Authority is yet to wake up from its slumber and start drawing up project estimates.

Caught napping, GHMC officials put the blame squarely on the state government. They point out that the primary reason for the current disarray is the inadequate funding by the state government as well as delays in releasing the funds.

While GHMC had sought Rs 400 crore for uplift and beautification of the city, GoAP sanctioned a paltry Rs 125 crore and that too the funds were released only in the first week of July. To tide over the cash-crunch, desperate GHMC authorities are understood to have over the past couple of weeks roped in nearly 22 corporates to sponsor beautification work like rotary refurbishment, murals, road greening and fountains. It is also learnt that the Centre snubbed the state government's plea for Rs 800 crore funding for the city as it is hosting such a big ticket international event for the first time.

GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu too seems to have woken up belatedly. Sources said he held a review meeting on COP 11 two-three days ago and asked the zonal commissioner to finalize tenders for drain improvement works immediately, even pulling up the engineering wing officials for shoddy work done in laying a pipeline for underground cables on Mehdipatnam road and admonishing officials for the cables dangling at SD Eye hospital near Masab Tank. But this burst of enthusiasm may be a case of too little, too late. A pity considering that this was an ideal opportunity for a T-struck Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad in particular to put its best foot forward and impress upon the world that it still continues to be a force to reckon with as a global investment destination.

Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2012 11:56

VMC to develop educational parks on Gunadala Hill

Friday, 02 December 2011 05:36 administrator

The Hindu 02.12.2011

VMC to develop educational parks on Gunadala Hill

Staff Reporter

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) will develop children's parks on Gunadala Hill very soon. The parks are one of the few other developmental projects that are proposed on the hill. The estimates for creating the parks for children are being worked out. The parks will be designed as scientific, educational and recreational places for children, said Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu. They would help children understand basic facts of science, apart from recreation. The parks would be developed with a low budget on private public partnership (PPP) mode. The VMC will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) before end of this month, he added. The corporation was planning a slew of developmental projects on Gunadala Hill. An eco-tourism park in 10 acre of land with an estimated cost of Rs.15 crore is one of the main proposals. Providing trekking facilities at Gunadala hill was also on cards. Gunadala Hill is noted for the famous Mary Matha shrine, which is on the South East face of the hill. A trekking track will be developed on the north west face of the hill. The track will begin at the foot of the hill near the shrine and end at the top of the hill. The corporation proposes to construct view points, food joints en route the trekking track. The track is being developed at Gunadala to provide youth with recreation facilities in the city.

It would be an adventurous trip to the top of the hill. Visitors could enjoy the night and watch glittering stars from their camps. Tents, camp fire would be some of the attractive features.

An eco-tourism park with an estimated cost of Rs.15 crore is one of the main proposals

A trekking track will be developed on the north west face of the hill

GVMC to provide bottled water to schools

Tuesday, 15 November 2011 06:56 administrator

The Hindu 15.11.2011

GVMC to provide bottled water to schools

Staff Reporter

Mayor Pulusu Janardhana Rao on Monday announced during the GVMC Children's Day celebration at Swarnabharati Stadium that drinking water will be supplied to all municipal schools in 20 litre bottles. Four treatment plants will be set up for the purpose at TSR Complex, Gajuwaka, Endada and Mindi to supply water to the 97 civic schools.

Besides, spoken English courses will be organised for students of Classes 7,8 and 9 and for high schools students shoes will also be provided.

Commissioner B. Ramanjaneyulu said the municipal schools were imparting education on a par with corporate schools.

Cultural programmes by children and folk arts presentation followed.

The Mayor and the Commissioner gave away prizes to winners in sports and cultural competitions.

MCD schools going hi-tech

Wednesday, 29 June 2011 05:46 administrator

The Hindu 29.06.2011

MCD schools going hi-tech

Staff Reporter

The attendance of teachers and principals in MCD schools would be marked through computers from July 1 as the civic body would finally be implementing its e-governance model in its education department.

Announcing this, Education Committee chairman Dr. Mahinder Nagpal said: “Computers have been supplied to 1,729 MCD schools. In addition, 17 education officials, 60 school inspectors besides 12,000 teachers have been imparted computer training.”