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General Administration

Committee to be formed to check illegal hoardings

Friday, 30 August 2013 10:04 administrator
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The New Indian Express              30.08.2013 

Committee to be formed to check illegal hoardings

A committee will be constituted to check illegal hoardings in the city, said BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana on Wednesday.

At the monthly BBMP Council meeting, he said, “The committee will submit its report by the next Council meeting.” He said the Advertisement Department lacks discipline and agencies put up the hoarding without notifying BBMP.

“We need to monitor the safety aspect of the hoardings and check if they violate advertisement bylaws. I will prepare guidelines on issuing permission for new hoardings and the same will be circulated among officials,” he said.

Nagapura Councillor S Harish said the BBMP collects only Rs 20 crore as advertisement tax annually while it targets Rs 150 crore.

“The BBMP has not been able to take down over 2,000 illegal hoardings in the city. The official figure (1,997) of hoardings in Bangalore is incorrect,” he remarked.

Harish claimed that K R Puram has 20 illegal hoardings along a one kilometre stretch.

Ruling party leader Nagaraju suggested the Commissioner to write a letter to BESCOM that it should not supply power to the illegal hoardings. Chamarajpet Councillor B V Ganesh told the Commissioner to remove illegal hoardings. Harish again pointed that these advertisement agencies pay tax  to Railways on time.

 

Unclean toilets in schools: PCMC to stop increments of 21 principals

Friday, 30 August 2013 09:21 administrator
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The Indian Express              30.08.2013 

Unclean toilets in schools: PCMC to stop increments of 21 principals

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has decided to stop increments of 21 principals of primary and secondary schools after the toilets in their respective schools were found unclean during a survey.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Tanaji Shinde, who heads the education department, said during an inspection it was found that toilets in the schools were not fit to be used. "The civic education office has issued orders to stop increments of these principals for the next year," he said.

However, Shinde said if the principals take necessary steps and ensure that the toilets remain clean, their increment will restored. "We will inspect the schools again after some time. If the toilets are clean, we will order restoration of the increments," he said.

The principals, however, protested the civic body's decision. "It is wrong to hold the principals responsible for this. PCMC has appointed private contractors to ensure cleanliness of the school premises and toilet facilities. If these private contractors fail to perform their duties, then they should be hauled up and not the principals," said a principal who did not wish to be named.

Shinde said that though private contractors are appointed to ensure cleanliness, it is the duty of the principals to get the work done. "The principals have failed in their duty to ensure cleanliness. They can take corrective action to avoid this situation," he said.

The action against the principals has irked the standing committee members who demanded that the civic administration withdraw from their stand. Members said principals were not responsible for maintaining cleanliness in the schools. "Their job is about imparting education. Are they supposed to clean?" members asked.

However, the civic administration said it was necessary to make them accountable so that they get the work done from the appointed contractors.

The committee members threatened to adjourn the meeting over the issue. They suggested that the work of monitoring cleanliness in the school should be given to the health department and work of security should given to the security department.

Standing committee chairman, Navnath Jagtap, expressed displeasure with the civic action.

Shiv Sena corporator Aasha Shendge said , "The teachers are given multiple tasks such as elections and census work. It is not right to burden them further."

NCP corporator Mahesh Landge, a standing committee member asked, "When PCMC has appointed an agency for cleanliness, then why are headmasters of respective schools being held responsible?"

 

BMC nod to rooftop restaurants in city

Friday, 30 August 2013 09:19 administrator
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The Indian Express              30.08.2013 

BMC nod to rooftop restaurants in city

Food lovers in the city will soon have an incentive besides enjoying a meal at a restaurant— a view of the coastline and skyine. In a special meeting held Wednesday, BMC gave permission to restaurateurs to operate rooftop restaurants.

However, the civic body will charge them a premium of one percent of the ready reckoner rate.

"Any hotelier can apply for licences with the BMC now," said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner.

BMC will also give permission to rooftop eateries in the non-coastal areas of the city and to those outlets which have kitchen space allotted in the floor below.

In November 2012, BMC had started framing a policy for giving official licences to rooftop restaurant owners and recover a licence fee for the same, making use of the city's coastal view to boost the hospitality industry.

According to the policy, restaurateurs can get approval for rooftop outlets if the eatery has a 300-sq-ft constructed structure with the rest of the terrace being used for seating.

Also the terrace has to be a part of the building's computed floor space index.

Restaurateurs fulfilling these conditions and in possession of extra FSI can apply for licences to operate rooftop eateries.

Mhaiskar had earlier said that the restaurants in the suburbs can purchase transfer of development rights if they don't have additional FSI. The option, however, will not apply to the island city.

Besides these stipulations, BMC had also necessitated permission from the neighbouring housing societies for running the rooftop business.

Prior to BMC introducing the process for allowing formal licenses for rooftop eateries, in 2012 there were more than 500 such restaurants operating across Mumbai, according to a member of the National Restaurateurs' Association of India.

 
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