PMPML decides to appoint experts for dedicated BRTS cell
Friday, 10 January 2014 10:08
administrator
The Indian Express 10.01.2014 PMPML decides to appoint experts for dedicated BRTS cell
Given the hue and cry over the failure of the civic body to execute the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in city, the PMPML seems to have finally decided to take up its job seriously. It has now decided to appoint experts for the dedicated BRTS cell. Going a step further, it has also asked the applicants to take a ride on BRTS route before appearing for interview.
“The posts would be on contractual basis for two years, which can be extended considering the requirement and performance,” said R N Joshi, chairman and managing director of PMPML. “The interested candidates are advised to study the BRTS project and take a ride in BRTS before coming for interview,” Joshi said.
Civic activist Jugal Rathi said the objective of PMPML might be to make the applicants learn lessons from the mistakes in the existing BRTS that is being implemented. “The existing BRTS does not fall in the concept of the real BRTS. It is non-existent in the city and the applicants cannot get the experience of how the BRTS should be going by what we have here,” he said adding that one had to visit other places to understand BRTS as the city has failed in its implementation. Rathi said the civic administration should have studied the BRTS before taking up the project as it has spent funds but has nothing to show. A total of 34 persons would be appointed for the BRTS cell, including an administration and transport manager equivalent to deputy chief executive officer for financial and transport management, eight assistant managers one each for urban transportation planning, operation, information technology, civil, human resource training, electrical, workshop depot and finance.
A security officer and two security supervisors, two depot supervisors, eight field officer for operations and four field officer for civil, two field officers for planning, electrical work and IT analyst would also be appointed. An assistant auditor and sanitary inspector too will be part of the team.
The decision to set up a dedicated BRTS cell under PMPML was taken a few years ago after there were complaints of an execution of effective BRTS in the city. The union government too have been criticizing the PMC for not executing BRTS despite using funds required for starting the service.
The PMC had not been able to execute the BRTS as per the assured timetable given to Union government.
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20 more buses will be turned into night shelters, board tells Delhi High Court
Friday, 10 January 2014 10:04
administrator
The Indian Express 10.01.2014 20 more buses will be turned into night shelters, board tells Delhi High Court
A week after Urban Development Minister Manish Sisodia declared that more night shelters would be created to accommodate the homeless, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) informed the Delhi High Court that temporary night shelters had been created in seven old DTC buses and that the Blueline Transport Operators’ Association had offered to provide 20 more buses.
According to an affidavit filed by the DUSIB CEO, temporary shelters using porta cabins will be set up near Britannia Chowk and other sites within two weeks.
Expressing its dissatisfaction with the facilities for the homeless, Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice R S Endlaw have directed the Delhi government to file a fresh affidavit regarding creation of permanent facilities for the homeless and immediate measures to be put in place.
The High Court has been monitoring the issue since 2010 and has issued several orders pulling up the government for its inaction.
Taking note of NGO complaints regarding four deaths due to the cold, the court also asked the government to file an affidavit regarding the measures it was planning to take to prevent such deaths.
“The Delhi government and the Delhi Police have been directed to file an affidavit about deaths which have taken place along with the post-mortem report, if any conducted…, for fixing responsibility,” the court said.
On being informed by advocate Reena George that the joint apex committee, formed to look into the issue of shelter, had not gone into the aspect of alleged police brutality on homeless people, the court directed the convener of the committee to “convene a meeting within a period of a week and discuss the issues once again and submit a report”.
The DUSIB affidavit also states that SDMs of all districts have been directed to regularly patrols their areas, and submit reports.
Delhi Jal Board task force takes on water mafia, illegal tubewells
Friday, 10 January 2014 09:53
administrator
The Indian Express 10.01.2014 Delhi Jal Board task force takes on water mafia, illegal tubewells
In what is being seen as the first such effort to root out water mafia, the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) special taskforce carried out a massive operation in Sangam Vihar and Deoli village in South Delhi.
It is the task force’s second recommendation in a week.
The first recommendation was made on Monday — to transfer 800 of its staff.
According to the DJB, the task force had received inputs regarding “many illegally dug tubewells on public land in the Sangam Vihar and Deoli village areas”, allegedly supplying water to the neighbourhood “at an exorbitant price of Rs 700 per family per month”.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was on Sunday informed of the situation by DJB CEO Vijay Kumar, and the task force members, “gave an on-the-spot approval for the takeover of such illegal borewells involved in the extraction of ground water for their commercial interests”.
DJB officials got in touch with the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of the South District, and decided “to carry-out a massive combing operation with the assistance of the police authorities, where a large police force was also deployed to manage the situation”.
A DJB spokesperson said, “Joint team consisting of officers from DJB, DC’s office and the police force cracked took over the illegally installed borewells. The electrical connections of private operators have been removed and DJB has obtained new connections from BSES to operate these tubewells. The operation in this area is likely to last two days.”
A complaint has been lodged under the relevant provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
“To provide security to the new installations, the RWA/residents who are direct beneficiaries, have been asked to keep a vigil at these locations to thwart attempts to damage government property. DJB has temporarily posted security guards at these installations to secure them,” a Delhi Jal Board statement said.
The DJB task force was formed last week under Additional CEO of Delhi Jal Board, Nandini Paliwal, together with four superintending engineers, one executive engineer and one deputy director (enforcement) as members.
The force was mandated to find out the discrepancies being caused in DJB’s water distribution services by the water mafia.
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