The Indian Express             21.11.2013

MC prepares resolution for transfer of villages

Municipal Corporation (MC), on Wednesday, finalised a resolution for transfer of the villages under the UT Administration to the civic body. As many as 10 conditions have been put forth by the MC in the resolution, which the Administration will be required to fulfill if the villages have to be transferred. A discussion on the resolution will be held during the special meeting of the General House scheduled for November 21.

The resolution states that the MC has no objection to the inclusion of 13 villages under 12 panchayats if certain conditions are fulfilled. It has demanded that the Administration should notify transfer of revenue estate as well as abadi deh to MC. The provisions of the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952 shall be extended to the entire area and the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act shall not apply to the existing construction.

The MC in the resolution further stated that all assets and liabilities, including ministerial and operational staff along with vacant posts, shall be transferred to it. The planning of the area of the said villages, including revenue estate, shall be under the civic body's control. The Administration would bear the entire expenditure with respect to the area of aforesaid villages for at least five years. The resolution further stated that there shall be no house tax on commercial as well as residential property for the next five in these areas.

Before the inclusion of the area, the Administration would increase the number of wards for elected councillors in consultation with the corporation. It was also stated that existing prominent persons of the Gram Panchayats, Zila Parishad and Panchyat Samiti shall be given due representation in the various Advisory Committees constituted by the Administration from time to time. Also, a special committee consisting of members of the MC and officers of the Administration would be constituted, while the Chandigarh Administration shall sanction certain administrative posts for the corporation to handle the increased work load.

The resolution has further mentioned that one more site shall be earmarked by the Administration for the purpose of dairy farming, specifically for the villagers whose area is being included to ensure their livelihood is not affected.

A meeting of the Congress leaders to discuss the resolution was held where Mayor Subhash Chawla said, "The resolution is being presented in the House Meet on Thursday. If the Administration agrees with the conditions, the MC will not have any problems in accepting the villages."

Meanwhile, the leader of opposition in the House, Arun Sood, said that BJP-SAD councillors would oppose the resolution and demand panchayats be allowed to continue.

The Indian Express             21.11.2013 

State nod to BMC on Gargai dam project

The state government gave its approval for BMC to start work on the Gargai water project. However, it has asked BMC to pay the State Water Resources Department Rs 19 lakh before it does so.

"We issued an order last week giving them the go-ahead for the project with certain riders. We have asked them to get the design of the project cleared by Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute. We have asked the BMC to pay the Water Resources department Rs 19.23 lakh which is the cost they have incurred in the project so far," a senior Water Resources Department officer said. The Water Resources Department on November 12 had issued an order asking the BMC to start work on the project.

The project was first planned in 1994 when the BMC had asked the Water Resources Department to build the project on a cash contract basis. BMC had then even made payments to the department. In 1998, however, BMC asked the department not to start the project and demanded that it return the money.

BMC had then said it would build the project on its own. In 2012, the process for building the project was started with an in-principle approval by the state government.

Once completed, the dam will be able to provide the city with up to 227 million litres of water per day. A tributary of the Pinjal river, Gargai is located in Ogade, 120 km from Mumbai, and runs through a thick forest area.

The current demand of water is 4,250 million litres daily (mld) as against the supply of 3,400 mld.