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E-Governance

Link property tax payment to voter IDs: Oppn Cong in civic body

Wednesday, 06 January 2010 11:27 administrator
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Indian Express 06.01.2010

Link property tax payment to voter IDs: Oppn Cong in civic body

Leaders of the opposition Congress in The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Tuesday dismissed the Corporation’s revised budget for 2009-10 and budget estimates for 2010-11, saying it “lacked far-sightedness”.

Initiating a debate on the budget presented in December 2009 by Municipal Commissioner K S Mehra, Leader of the Opposition Jai Kishan Sharma said the budget also lacked effective revenue-generating mechanisms.

Sharma suggested the MCD should increase its property tax collection net and rope in 70 per cent of the current non-payers by linking the mechanism to voter ID cards. “We can identify the properties on the basis of voter ID cards,” he said.

“The Central government has transferred 15,000 custodian properties in 1947. The MCD is spending a huge amount on their maintenance, but earning nothing. We should consider the transfer of ownership rights on a long-term lease basis. It will bring in revenue that could be invested on public welfare schemes,” he added. Congress members also alleged that while the MCD had projected Rs 3,259 crore as an estimate of actual income during 2007-08 and Rs 3,166 crores during 2008-09, it doubled the estimate to Rs 5,843 crore in 2009-10.

 

 

Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 January 2010 11:45
 

Soon, register your civic complaints on phone

Saturday, 19 December 2009 10:30 administrator
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Indian Express 19.12.2009

Soon, register your civic complaints on phone

Private players will be roped in to set up call centres

The Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are planning to tie up with private players for setting up call centres which would register civic complaints. This was announced during a meeting of Financial Commissioner-cum-Principal Secretary, ULBs, Haryana, Rajkumar with councillors and officials of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Mahavir Singh, director, ULBs, was also present during the occasion.

“There is a proposal to tie up with a private company and set up call centres so that residents can get their complaints regarding civic issues registered there. Each call centre will cater to two to five sectors. The proposal has been sent to the Haryana government for approval,” said Rajkumar.

During the meeting, it was also decided that Panchkula will get a new sanitation system which would be the pilot project of the Local Bodies department, Haryana, done with public participation.

“Ward committees under the chairpersonship of ward councillors will be constituted for the purpose,” said Rajkumar.

“Under the present system, sweeping work in different localites is being taken care of contractors while garbage is collected by persons engaged by residents. After the current agreement with the contractor ends on December 31, the garbage collectors would be responsible to keep the area clean and dump the garbage at the proper place. They would be paid Rs 50 extra per month by the Municipal Council and will continue to charge from the residents accordingly,” he added. Later, the councillors put forth their suggestions and grievances.

Last Updated on Saturday, 19 December 2009 10:32
 

Mobile, online water bill payment a reality soon

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 05:39 administrator
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Deccan Herald 15.12.2009

Mobile, online water bill payment a reality soon
Bangalore, Dec 14, DHNS:
 

With the BWSSB planning to accept mobile and online payments, water bills payment is set to become easier in the future. Chief Engineer (Cauvery), BWSSB, Vasudevan announced this on Monday, while presenting a paper on e-governance in BWSSB during the three-day `National Conference on Urban Water Management: Challenges and Options (NCUWM-09),’ which commenced here on Sunday.

Elaborating the proposed system to the media, BWSSB Chairperson P B Ramamurthy said that Indiranagar would become the first area to accept mobile payment. A pilot project will be launched here within a month and would later be extended to all areas under BWSSB.

On the cess the consumer will have to pay for the facility, the chairperson said that it would be a minimal amount, and not more than five rupees. Payments can also be made through internet but this facility would be operational only after six months.

The chairperson declined to comment on the possibility of a hike in water tarrif owing to hike in power tarrif. Extra cost that the Board would incur would work out to be 10.2% more than what was being paid to the electricity board now. Out of an annual revenue of Rs 480 crore, we are paying nearly Rs 240 crore towards power charges, the highest paid by any water supply body in the country.

Earlier, BWSSB Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, who inaugurated the conference, called for setting up of small water distillation units in all residences to purify water and also because they are inexpensive.

The City’s water requirement will be 2,550 Million Litres Per Day (MLD) by 2040. The present water supply including future plans to augment it will only permit the City to receive 1,500 MLD. Considering this, the department was now enforcing dual pipeline system, wherein one would be for portable and another for non-potable use, the minister said.

Twenty sewage treatments plants are being constructed all over the City, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore, to supply non-potable water, he added.
President of Bavarian Environment Agency in Germany Dr Ing Albert Gottle called for construction of reservoirs across rivers to regulate them.

An exhibition on water was also inaugurated. Dr A Ravindra, Advisor to the Chief Minister, BDA Commissioner Siddaiah and others took part.
 
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