Urban News

Source : The Hindu Date : 23.06.2009

HDMC hospital to be developed

Staff Correspondent

— Photo: Kiran Bakale

Checking out: Hubli-Dharwad Mayor Viranna Savadi interacting people at fish market at Ganeshpet in Hubli during his visit there on Monday.

Hubli: Hubli-Dharwad Mayor Viranna Savadi on Monday directed the corporation officials to chalk out a plan for the development of the fish market and mutton market in the Ganeshpet area of Hubli.

The Mayor paid a visit to the markets at Ganeshpet along with local councillors and Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) officials on Monday in the wake of complaints about lack of maintenance of the markets.

Mr. Savadi was shocked to see the ill-maintained mutton market at Ganeshpet. Shopkeepers there complained about the lack of maintenance and apathy of officials to the Mayor.

The shopkeepers at the fish market wanted a separate arrangement for the wholesale fish market.

They said since the market was small and couldn’t accommodate the vehicles transporting fish, the retailers were forced to shift their shops to the streets, which was causing problems for the residents of the locality. The Mayor promised them he would take required action.

Mr. Savadi also visited the hospital maintained by the HDMC at Ganeshpet and listened to the patients there. They drew his attention to the leaking roof and poor maintenance of the hospital. They complained about inadequate supply of medicines.

Mr. Savadi asked the hospital authorities to immediately submit proposals for development of the hospital.

He said he would try to get funds for the development under the Rs. 100 crore grants sanctioned to the HDMC.

MLA of Hubli Dharwad East Virabhadrappa Halaharavi, councillors Shama Hunagund, Sudhir Saraf, Laxman Gandagalekar, former Mayor Vijayanand Hosakote, former councillor Tippanna Majjagi accompanied the Mayor to all places.

Later, Mr. Savadi told presspersons that he had directed officials concerned to plan for systematic development of both the markets and also to improve the facilities at the HDMC hospital.

Source : The Hindu Date : 23.06.2009

User charges on garbage opposed

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: The city unit of the CPI (M) on Monday vehemently opposed the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC)’s move to levy user charges on garbage.

Addressing a press conference here, CPI(M) floor leader in the VMC general body Ch. Babu Rao came down heavily on the ruling Congress for including the proposal to levy user charges on garbage in the agenda of the general body meeting scheduled for June 27. Though the proposal was deferred some time back, the Corporation was gearing up to introduce it through backdoor, he said.

The Congress party had utterly failed to prevail upon the State government to release the dues to the Corporation to the tune of Rs. 198 crores. The State government neither released its share nor the share released by the Centre for programmes taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) programme in the city.

The Congress should have lodged a complaint with the Centre against the State government for withholding the funds, but it was only interested in burdening the people with user charges, he said.

The Corporation was poised to collect Rs. 600 to Rs. 24,000 a year from users for lifting garbage. While it would be Rs. 60 to Rs. 900 a year for each family, it would be Rs. 600 to Rs. 24,000 a year for traders and house owners.

Around Rs. 3.98 crores would be collected from 21,053 commercial establishments, while it would be Rs. 4.14 crores from 1,57,214 residential properties. If the proposal was implemented, the VMC officials would burden the people by at least Rs. 8 crores a year, he alleged.

Mr. Babu Rao pointed out that user charges would exceed the amount being collected as Dangerous and Offensive (D&O) trade licence fee and property tax.

In all, 21,000 commercial establishments and 1.57 lakh house owners would have to pay user charges to the tune of Rs. 8 crores a year, he maintained.