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BMC committee to discuss parking rate policy next week

Thursday, 21 November 2013 11:46 administrator
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The Times of India            21.11.2013

BMC committee to discuss parking rate policy next week

MUMBAI: The civic improvements committee of BMC will discuss the new parking rate policy next week. With a majority of members convinced that it is a well-drafted policy, it is likely to be cleared by the panel.

The meeting will be held on November 28 and that is when the policy will be tabled for a detailed discussion. Chairman of the committee Ram Barot said that the policy was framed to encourage use of public transport and to discourage private vehicles and street parking.

"The BMC plans to hike the parking fees for trucks and private cars. On-duty taxis will be charged lesser in comparison to private cars," said Barot. The parking rates will vary from area to area. Rates will also be different during peak and non-peak hours, which could help in controlling the number of private cars on the roads as well as check illegal parking, said sources.

Dividing the city into three zones, the civic administration has proposed a Rs 60-per hour charge for parking lots in prominent areas such as Fort, Colaba and Regal. The existing parking fee for such lots is Rs 20 per hour. According to civic data, there are about 62 such parking lots in the city.

Less popular places will also see a two-fold hike in the parking fee. The hike has been proposed for the next two years, after which the charges will be increased by 10 per cent every two years.

 

AMC sends acquisition notice to ASI-protected Baba Lu Lui mosque in Behrampura

Thursday, 21 November 2013 11:45 administrator
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The Times of India            21.11.2013

AMC sends acquisition notice to ASI-protected Baba Lu Lui mosque in Behrampura

AHMEDABAD: A major controversy is about to erupt with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) issuing notices to the almost 550-year-old ASI-protected monument Baba Lu Lui's mosque in Behrampura.

The notice stuck at the entrance of the mosque gives the tomb's caretakers seven days to clear 74 sq m of space for a proposed road-widening activity. The ASI's Ahmedabad office is yet to receive a copy of the notice.

The saint is believed to be one of the 12 saints present when the foundation of the city was laid.

"If the proposed road expansion plans to usurp the ASI-protected area around the tomb, this can never be possible," says a senior ASI official. Earlier, ASI issued notices to the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL) as construction was taking place within the 100m restricted zone.

The AMC notices asks that the caretakers of the tomb hand over possession of the said land in seven days and that they would be compensated for the acquisition.

"This is embarrassing, if the AMC is claiming a protected site. Revenue records have to be referred to before moving for any such acquisition," adds the ASI official.

 

KMC slaps notices on water tax defaulters

Thursday, 21 November 2013 11:44 administrator
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The Times of India            21.11.2013

KMC slaps notices on water tax defaulters

KOLHAPUR: The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) has issued notices to 8,948 commercial water connection holders for not clearing tax dues amounting to Rs 8.5 crore. The civic body has threatened to snap supply if the consumers do not pay the amount within 15 days since the day the noticse was issued.

Seven months into this financial year, the department could mop up only Rs 15.60 crore as water tax evan as the target was Rs 40 crore.

KMC water tax superintendent Prashant Pandat said, "The notices have been issued to the consumers with tax dues over Rs 5,000. We have appealed to them to pay the dues before 15 days. The total dues amount to Rs 8.5 crore, an amount that would certainly help us strengthen the department financially."

At present, the city has about 97,000 water connections. The corporation lifts 120 million litres per day (MLD) of water from the Panchaganga River. The total expenditure of the water supply management is around Rs 44 crore a year, which does not commensurate with the taxes collected from the customers.

"The drive against illegal water connection was resumed after Diwali. We will carry out drive in the suburban parts of the city so that we can rake in more revenue by legalizing such connections," Pandat said.

 
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