The Indian Express                        19.03.2013

PMC allows hoardings as per new policy and rate

With the Bombay High Court going harsh on illegal hoardings and banners in all cities and hoarding owners challenging the new policy and rates, the Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to accept the proposal to allow hoardings as per policy and proposed new rates of Rs 222 per sq ft.

Hoarding owners met the civic body and discussed a way out from the situation in which they will be allowed to carry on the business. "There will no renewal of licence but fresh application has to be submitted for seeking permission for putting up hoardings. This will be as per the new policy and at the rate of Rs 222 per sq ft," a civic officer said.

Hoarding owners can apply for permission from April 1 and continue their business. The PMC had stopped renewal of licences for the existing hoardings from March 2010 to implement the new hoarding policy that is pending with the state.

The PMC had also started the process to issue tenders to appoint agencies for hoardings but found that it was likely to increase the revenue of the civic body by manifold. However, the hoarding association and its member had dragged the PMC to court challenging the policy and the tender process.

The Indian Express                        19.03.2013

East corporation outsources hiring of security guards

The East Municipal Corporation has decided to outsource hiring security guards for its community halls, almost half which are currently unsecured.

At present the corporation manages 61 buildings that include 49 community halls, 6 gyms and six senior citizen recreational centres. For round-the-clock security, 3 security guards need to be stationed at each property, calling for a total of 183 security guards.

But there are only 62 security guards working in 37 buildings. For the rest of the 24 buildings, there are 72 security guards whose sanction has also expired.

But given financial constraints, corporation can engage only 117 for now, a senior official said. It will outsource the hiring of the guards. "We have decided to outsource the guasrds for welfare of those using our halls ," said a senior official.

Civic body reviews pending cases to clear backlog

North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday held a special house to review the pending cases in the department.

Accusing the department of deliberately clearing only a few cases, leader of house, Mahendra Nagpal, said that the department has not been operational for many years which had resulted in the large number of pending.

Mayor Mira Aggarwal said that the corporation will de-centralise the department to improve the efficiency of the department in clearing up the cases.

"Every department should have a vigilance official so that minor offence cases can be dealt within the department," she said.

The Mayor further said that cases of regular departmental action should be concluded on priority basis and officials should not be harassed by delaying the inquiry report in the incident for long.

"A committee will be constituted to look in to the functioning of the vigilance department," the Mayor said.