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KMC regularizes 591 hoardings, mops up Rs 41 lakh

Thursday, 31 October 2013 11:09 administrator
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The Times of India          31.10.2013

KMC regularizes 591 hoardings, mops up Rs 41 lakh

KOLHAPUR: The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) has since last week regularized 591 of the 618 identified hoardings and mopped up Rs 41 lakh with the deadline for the regularization process ending on November 1.

The KMC had issued a public notice in April for the regularization of such hoardings. However, it had not received any response till last week. The response for the notice started after the KMC issued another notice and intimidated that the final date for the process will be November 1 and would take action against the hoarding operators if those were not regularized before the deadline.

Estate officer Sanjay Bhosale said, "Till last week, we had not received any response from the hoarding operators. We were losing revenue from these hoardings. On Tuesday itself, we generated Rs 10 lakh through the regularization process. The rates for the hoardings are charged according to the new hoarding policy approved by the state government last month."

The KMC has started the survey of notifying the hoardings in the property and appealed to the residents to provide the information if there were any such structures in their respective areas. "We didn't have any policy for the hoardings displayed at the private properties before April. However, considering it as a potential source to generate significant amount of the revenue we had decided, we started charging these hoardings. According to the policy, we are charging Rs 7,000 per hoarding unit for its regularization." Till date, the KMC has generated Rs 41 lakh from the regularization process.

According to the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2010, it has been made mandatory for the urban local bodies to regularize the hoardings on the private property. The urban bodies have also got the right to impose fine of Rs 2,000 on those installing hoardings illegally.

"After the regularization work is completed, we are going to charge the advertisement rates that will be revised periodically. We are currently charging Rs 40 per sq ft a month for advertisements," Bhosale added.

The charges are high as compared to the hoardings installed on the municipal corporation spaces. The new hoarding policy proposes a hike in the rental charges for the installation for the permanent hoardings from Rs 3.25 to Rs 4 per sq ft a month.

According to the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2010, it is mandatory for urban local bodies to regularize hoardings on private property. The act offers civic corporations the right to penalize those who install hoardings illegally. There are 78 sites in the KMC area that are recognized for setting up hoardings, through which the KMC earns Rs 10 lakh as yearly revenue.

 

Single window system: Palike expects quality work

Thursday, 31 October 2013 10:32 administrator
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The New Indian Express         31.10.2013

Single window system: Palike expects quality work

With the new single window clearance system initiated last week to streamline sanctioning of ward-level works, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) hopes that contractors will execute quality work.

Ruling party leader Ashwathnarayana Gowda told reporters here on Wednesday that earlier when tenders were called for various zones on different days, powerful contractors would participate and get maximum tenders. With more tenders and less manpower, they would execute sub-standard work.

Under the single window system, Basavaraju said so far officials are working as per schedule. “Administrative and technical sanctions for ward works which were supposed to be cleared by Wednesday, has been done. Earlier, it used to take months to give job code for works. But this time, officials have given it in just two days,” he said.

Officials have already kept tender notifications ready which will be issued on November 6. By December 4, work orders will be issued, he added.

When asked about unpaid bills, Basavaraju said he will soon call for a meeting with BBMP contractors’ association members. “We shall discuss the concept of single window and request them to participate in tenders. For the works that will be taken during this financial year, we shall pay their bills as and when the work is completed,” he assured. 

“Now that the government has agreed to collect fee for Akrama-Sakrama, BBMP is expected to generate more funds. We shall pay contractors’ dues,” he said.

 

Palike works begin under single window

Thursday, 31 October 2013 10:14 administrator
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Deccan Herald         31.10.2013

Palike works begin under single window

BBMP Corporators / DH File Photo

The BBMP’s standing committee for ward-wise works began on Wednesday the process for speedy implementation of works as per the calendar of events through the single-window system. 

The committee’s chairperson, A H Basavaraju, and members inspected the progress at Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Bangalore South zones of the Palike. They expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the calendar of events as declared by Mayor B S Sathyanarayana on October 28 in the BBMP Council. 

Speaking to reporters later, Basavaraju said the foundation for single-window system had been laid and the progress in the three zones inspected by the committee members was satisfactory. He said work orders would be issued on December 4 as per the calendar of events. He further said the single-window system was made possible by a month-long hard work and after several rounds of discussion with the BBMP Commissioner, M Lakshminarayana, zonal commissioners, chief engineers and executive engineers. 

Speaking on the occasion, Ashwath Narayana Gowda, floor leader, BBMP Council, said that till now corporators used to stand in queue to get the job code but the single-window system would make their task easy.

About the damning report by the BBMP’s Quality Control Division (QCD) which pointed to substandard works carried out by Palike engineers in last three years, Basavaraju said henceforth, bills would be cleared after third-party inspection.

 He said he had a discussion with engineers at the Technical Vigilance Cell and QCD about measures to be taken to improve the quality of work. In that regard, he would hold a meeting with QCD engineers on November 7, he added.
 
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