Indian Express 24.04.2010
Civic body proposes Rs 1.5-cr project to make city green
Raakhi Jagga Tags : corporation, project Posted: Saturday , Apr 24, 2010 at 0019 hrs
Ludhiana: The local Municipal Corporation on Friday called a meeting of 50 park management committees (PMCs), whose contracts had expired in March but have not yet been renewed yet. Suggestions from members of the PMCs were sought on how to make the city green.Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura, Senior Deputy Mayor Parveen Bansal and a few officers were present in the meeting. A project worth Rs 1.5 crore, under which 10,000 saplings will be planted along with tree guards (one costs around Rs 1,000), was also proposed.
The plan is to give out the plantation work on contract basis, while a huge team of MC employees of the Horticulture Wing take home annual salaries of Rs 3.5 crore.
Bansal said, “We will be calling school and college authorities as well in the next meeting and if they are ready to maintain some areas on their own, we will provide them saplings and the rest we will get planted on contract basis.”
He further said: “In many areas, saplings are planted but they are not maintained properly. This problem was highlighted by many PMCs today. So we thought of outsourcing the project. The contractor will plant the sapling and maintain it for two years. We will provide the sapling and tree guards.”
Meanwhile, MC authorities allegedly invited PMC members on a “pick and choose policy” and did not invite president of the PMC Federation S S Chana.
Talking to Newsline, Chana said: “At present, about 400 parks are being maintained by the PMCs but more than 350 parks are still in a bad shape in the city. Authorities should first think of maintaining those green belts or at least give them to PMCs rather than making more plans.” Bansal, however, said they plan to involve the public in the green drive. We will gift saplings to all public representatives at meetings, he said, while adding that contracts of PMCs will be renewed soon.
