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BBMP eyes Rs 4,000 crore grant in Budget

Friday, 21 June 2013 08:07 administrator
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The New Indian Express               21.06.2013

BBMP eyes Rs 4,000 crore grant in Budget

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner M Lakshminarayana has sought additional funds from the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is presenting the budget on July 12.

The Chief Minister held a series of meeting with various departmental heads on Thursday. Commissioner Lakshminarayana, who was also present during the meeting, sought Rs 4,000 crore grants.

Speaking to Express, he said that it is a normal process that civic agencies seek funds from the government before the budget is presented. “With the CM presenting the budget on July 12, we have placed our request,” he said.

The Commissioner said that they need funds for both spillover works as well as ongoing works. “We do not know how much the State government will release. We will utilise the funds on priority basis,” he said.

When asked about expectation from the new government, he said in the next five years, government should grant at least Rs 15,000 crore.

Sources in the BBMP said during his meeting with the CM, the Commissioner explained about the funds released by the BJP government.

“Previous government never released the amount announced during the State budget. Every year, Chief Ministers of the BJP government announced anywhere between Rs 700 crore and Rs 1,300 crore grants, but did not release the funds. The Commissioner explained this situation to the CM,” official sources said.

Commissioner also explained the amount that has be paid to various contractors. Palike needs funds for various ongoing works including road widening, removing silt from drains and other emergency works.

Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy and team had met the CM last week. “We are organising Kempe Gowda Jayanathi on June 29 and inviting the Chief Minister. When he comes, we will present a memorandum on the status of BBMP,” he said.

 

GHMC to pay for service delays

Friday, 21 June 2013 07:53 administrator
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Deccan Chronicle               21.06.2013

GHMC to pay for service delays

Hyderabad: Citizens can now expect civic services to be delivered in a specified time-frame. The GHMC has come out with a revised model Citizen’s Charter that offers to pay compensation to citizens (applicants) in case of delay in delivery of service on the part of the civic body.

Compensation will be paid to the applicant at Rs 50 per day in case of services of revenue, engineering and health sections, and Rs 100 per day in case of services of the GHMC town planning wing towards loss of valuable time. This compensation will be recovered from the person who delayed service delivery. Disciplinary action will also be initiated against a defaulting officer who pays fines at least three times a year.

Civil society organisations welcomed the Citizen’s Charter, but said they did not expect miracles from officials. Earlier too, the municipal corporation and other government departments had come out with such charters, but these were later reduced to mere wall hangings.

This time, Resident Welfare Associations have decided to monitor implementation. “The revised Citizen’s Charter in itself is an admission on the part of the GHMC that it did not perform its duty as required, and now proposes to improve its service delivery.

Citizens have not demanded this time-frame, but officials themselves have come out with this. We will give them a fair opportunity to fulfil their commitment to citizens,” said Federation of United Resident Welfare Associations of Greater Hyderabad president V.B.J. Rao Chelikani. Stating that RWAs will support and encourage officials in implementing the Citizen’s Charter, he said that official machinery should take it as an opportunity to re-organise themselves and become more accountable to society.

 

Directive to maintain cleanliness, sanitation around relief camps

Friday, 21 June 2013 05:37 administrator
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The Hindu              21.06.2013

Directive to maintain cleanliness, sanitation around relief camps

Staff Reporter

Low-lying areas along the Yamuna still submerged

The Delhi Government on Thursday directed its health department and the three municipal corporations to maintain cleanliness and sanitation around camps set up for flood-affected families. The high-level meeting in this regard was chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as low-lying areas along the Yamuna remained submerged for the second consecutive day though the water level in the river started to recede this morning.

With the water level in the Yamuna dropping below the 207 metre mark on Thursday afternoon, the flooding problem near ISBT Kashmere Gate and the consequent traffic congestion also ended . A number of personnel had, however, been deployed along Ring Road from Chandgi Ram Akhara all the way up to Nigambodh Ghat to ensure that the road remained free of water-logging.

Meanwhile, the authorities have been instructed by the Delhi Government to fumigate the camps with anti-malaria spray once a day and provide chlorine bottles to the families to keep water safe for drinking. The Delhi Jal Board tankers have also been stationed to provide safe drinking water in the camps.

Revenue Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, who visited flood-affected areas, observed that these areas remained prone to the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery and directed the authorities to take up immediate preventive measures. He further directed the MCD Commissioners to issue instructions to all field and health officials to prevent any outbreak of diseases and to deal firmly with any laxity in performance.

Ms. Dikshit stated that the water level in the river had started to recede and had dropped to 206.50 metres at 5 p.m. She said her government has made elaborate arrangements to provide facilities by setting up 1,153 tents to accommodate more than 10,000 flood victims.

The water level had touched 207.32 metres on Wednesday night. Various low-lying areas along the Yamuna such as Usmanpur, Yamuna Bazar, Bhajanpura, Shastri Park, Garhi Mandu and other places remained flooded. Authorities have evacuated over 5,000 people from vulnerable localities. The 145-year-old Old Yamuna Bridge connecting East Delhi with the heart of the city remained shut for rail and road traffic for the third consecutive day.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority has been overseeing the rescue operations along with other departments and agencies . Mobile medical teams and water tanks have been pressed into service to help the affected people.

 
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