The Times of India          29.01.2014 

LMC invites suggestions for development from residents

LUCKNOW: Sidelining the core theme of house meeting held to approve the revised budget of 2013-14, the corporators ensured that every single minute of Lucknow Municipal Corporation's meeting on Tuesday was spent on discussing civic problems and resolving differences between nominated and elected members.

The only major decision taken was in the interest of residents-that various resident welfare associations (RWAs) and media can submit suggestions on specific problems of their areas to additional municipal commissioner Vishal Bharadwaj's office before February 3. The suggestion should be limited to a few lines and dropped inside the box in front of his office.

Mayor Dinesh Sharma said "we will try to accommodate maximum suggestions in our budget for 2014-15 which would be announced soon. People need to give practical and specific suggestions on problems that need urgent fund allocations like installing tube-wells, street lights in certain areas, buying jetting machine for sewer cleanliness, etc." LMC's executive body meeting on 2014-15 budget provisions would be held before February 10.

The session began with nominated corporators embroiling with elected members for encroaching up on their work areas and misusing power to overshadow them. A nominated corporator from Rajajipuram, Shoaib Ahmad, who had warned of self-immolation some days back, alleged that certain elected corporators had cheated him by getting approval for the same project he had proposed earlier. He complained that nominated corporators are not being treated in a fair manner.

There has always been a dispute over rights of nominated corporators and their entitlement to development funds. While they ask for funds equal to those for elected members, the latter have been opposing it as they fear nominated members, who don't represent any ward, have liberty to work anywhere which might hamper their work. Mayor assured that decision on scope of work area of nominated members would be decided soon.

As important as presenting the balance sheet is during the budget session, LMC has been managing to conclude most of such sessions without balance sheets. This has raised doubts of many corporators over transparency in developmental work. The issue was brought forth in the meeting too but was evaded with "LMC hasn't appointed any CA. Will appoint one this year."

While the session was meant to revolve around budgetary provision, corporators dwelt on drawing officials' attention towards cleanliness irregularities, failure of waste disposal system, cleaning of sewer-lines, etc. When Yawar Hussain Reshu from JC Bose ward enquired how Jal Sansthan ensures all sewer lines are cleaned regularly and complained that sewage has been overflowing in Ruchi Khand of Shardanagar for past many days, GM of Jal Sansthan said that apart from 331 regular workers, they also hire contractual workers.

Jal Sansthan said they also outsource sewer pipelines to contractors for cleaning purpose at the rate of Rs 1.72 per meter pipe. Dissatisfied with the answer, corporators rebuked the agency for poor cleanliness of sewer lines. They questioned the efficiency of private partner of LMC, Jyoti Envirotech, responsible for city's solid waste management plant and collecting door-to door waste from all wards.

Corporators accused the company of being slow and not covering all wards even after so many years. They claimed the company was throwing waste at dumping sites of LMC while it should be treating it at the plant. "Why are they collecting user charges if they are dumping it at the same places," asked corporators. Municipal commissioner R K Singh assured that the plant would begin working by March and that officials would regularly monitor the plant's functioning once it begins.

The meeting also approved of buying jetting machines for cleaning of sewer lines in zones 5 and 6. The meeting came to an abrupt end in the afternoon when corporators boycotted budget announcement. The supplementary budget was passed amid mixed reactions and noise even as corporators gathered around mayor and municipal commissioner to explain their local grievances.

Monitoring the menials:

While the house was busy hearing budget and other civic problems, the sanitary workers staged protest in front of LMC office blaming authorities for making them work in tough conditions. Responding to complaints of poor attendance of sanitary workers in different wards, municipal commissioner had formed 40 teams to carry out sudden inspection across city to monitor workers' attendance twice a day. Workers opposed the move claiming they cannot keep working the entire day. Commissioner said LMC would ask locals about their merit and attendance and take action only after that. "We need good work, If a worker completes work regularly and people are satisfied with his job, we would not go by his attendance records", he assured.