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General Administration

BBMP stops 1,970 'unnecessary' civic works

Friday, 24 May 2013 12:31 administrator
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The Times of India              24.05.2013

BBMP stops 1,970 'unnecessary' civic works

BANGALORE: What's the best thing to do when the BBMP is pushed to the wall by a financial crunch? Put in place cost-cutting measures and avoid unnecessary expenditure and put off civic works for the city.

BBMP commissioner Siddaiah's decision on Thursday to freeze 1,970 civic works worth Rs 522 crore sparked off a furore in the council. The infrastructure development works included construction of drains, roads, culverts and pavements, all of which have come to a halt now.

He took this decision after he got a report from Technical Vigilance Committee under Commissioner (TVCC) which said all 1,970 works that were about to be executed were either unnecessary or repeat works or those which needn't be taken up immediately. "The report is based on thorough verification by TVCC officials after inspecting the spot. TVCC has taken signatures from the executive engineer of these works. We decided to take up works which were of immediate concern and leave the rest. BBMP has pending bills of Rs 1360 crore. We have 13,550 spillover works amounting to Rs 3,229 crore," said special commissioner KR Niranjan, who chaired the council meet in Siddaiah's absence.

N Nagaraj, ruling party leader in the council, condemned the decision and questioned the BBMP for not streamlining the solid waste management process.

Yediyur corporator NR Ramesh demanded that the report be withdrawn. "Why has the BBMP taken a unilateral decision without discussing the issue in the council?" asked Thimmegowda, JDS floor leader.

The corporators also took objection to commissioner Siddaiah taking leave on the day when the council meet was held. Incidentally, it was his last meeting as he retires on May 31.

 

NMC finalises land acquisition for widening of Shahi Marg

Friday, 24 May 2013 12:10 administrator
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The Times of India              24.05.2013

NMC finalises land acquisition for widening of Shahi Marg

NASHIK: The standing committee of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Thursday gave its nod to acquire land for widening of the old Shahi Marg, the route taken by sadhus from Tapovan - where they stay - to Godavari for the holy dip during the Kumbh mela.

The civic administration will soon send the proposal to the district collector, who will commence with the land acquisition procedure.

Presently, the width of the existing Shahi Marg, which stretches from Tapovan to Godavari via Nag Chowk, Kalaram Temple and Sardar Chowk, varies from 4.5 metres to 6 metres at different locations. The marg is to be widened from 9 metres to 15 metres depending on the area.

The proposal of land acquisition presented at the standing committee for the widening project, include the 12-metre road from Panchamukhi Hanuman mandir to Shrikrishna ice factory, 9-metre road from Sardar Chowk to Kalaram Mandir East door, 15-metre road from Kalaram Mandir to Nag chowk to Katya Martuti Chowk and 12-metre road from Ramkund to Malviya Chowk to Katya Maruti - marked in the development plan of the standing committee.

Speaking to TOI, a senior official of the civic body said, "We will send the proposal to the district collector after we get a copy of the resolution on the acquisition of land from the standing committee of the municipal corporation. The district collector will then start the process. The land acquisition and widening of Shahi Marg is expected to take place before the Kumbh mela begins."

29 pilgrims were killed at Sardar chowk on the Shahi Marg in a stampede during the last Kumbh mela in 2003 in Nashik. The state government had appointed an enquiry committee, headed by then divisional commissioner of Aurangabad V Ramani, to probe into the stampede. The committee in its report had suggested the widening of the Shahi Marg. But, even after a decade, no action had been taken either by the civic body or the district administration. Municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare, who took charge last year, has finally taken initiative for widening of the road to avoid any untoward incident during the coming Kumbh.

Before the 2003 Kumbh, a new Shahi Marg was created, but

which runs parallel to Godavari river from Tapovan to Ramkund.

the sadhus refused to take the new route on the grounds that it passed near a cemetery.

which is inauspicious. The NMC had apparently not consulted the sadhus before creating the new Shahi Marg.

 

Civic body to allot land to community for burial ground

Friday, 24 May 2013 12:06 administrator
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The Times of India              24.05.2013

Civic body to allot land to community for burial ground

NASHIK: The standing committee of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Thursday gave its approval to allot land for a burial ground in Dasak to the Veershaiv Lingayat community.

The civic administration had earlier sent a proposal to the standing committee to allot 867 sq metres of the total 1.26 hectares of land in survey no. 1 in Dasak area, in the jurisdiction of the civic body, to the Veershaiv Lingayat community for a burial ground.

There are a large number of people from the Virshaiv Lingayat community in Jail Road area who have been demanding for a burial ground. During the general body meeting (GBM) of the NMC held on December 1, 1998, the standing committee had, as per resolution no. 1077, asked the municipal commissioner to submit a report on the availability of land in survey no. 5 in Dasak area of the city. However, there was no land available in the area. The GBM on July 30, 2012 finally gave its approval to give land in survey no. 1 along Godavari river in Dasak for the burial ground.

The civic administration will soon sign an agreement with the community, according to which, the community will have no right on the property but will use the said land as burial ground. The money spent by the community on the land will be part of NMC's assets. The community will not use the land for professional purposes and the land will be non-transferable. Any encroachment coming up on the land will be the responsibility of the community.

The Virshaiv Lingayat community will have to develop the said land for civilians within a year from the date of agreement. The civic body will have the right to take back the land if the community does not develop the said land within a year or the land developed by the community is found unsatisfactory. In that case, the community will have no right to demand compensation for the expenses it undertook on the land. It will be mandatory for the community to use the land as a burial ground only.

 
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