Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Municipal Finance

Will need Rs 600 crore for RTE: MCD to Delhi Govt

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 09:58 administrator
Print PDF

Indian Express          10.11.2010

Will need Rs 600 crore for RTE: MCD to Delhi Govt

Tags : Municipal Corporation of Delhi, MCD, Right To Education Posted: Wed Nov 10 2010, 04:58 hrs

 The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sought a sum of Rs 600 crore from the Delhi government to implement the Right To Education (RTE) Act in its schools.

Education Committee Chairman Mahinder Nagpal, on Tuesday, said the MCD has chalked out a plan to improve its education system, which includes building 40 new schools at a cost of Rs 600 crore. The plan includes conversion of all primary schools into middle-level educational institutions, special arrangements for differently abled children, single-shift systems, co-education, establishment of similar timings in all schools, creation of new posts for teachers and construction of 40 new school buildings.

Stating that the scheme has been forwarded to the NCT, Government of Delhi, for approval, Nagpal said the funds would also be used on other essential provisions for students such as drinking water facilities, libraries, computer laboratories and improved furniture at all schools. “The implementation of the plan will start as soon as we receive approval and the required funds,” he said.

Earlier, the Delhi Government had said it is having a hard time implementing the RTE Act in the city because several schools belonging to the MCD and NDMC do not come under its jurisdiction. However, the MCD now seems keen on implementing it.

“To provide education to children from all strata of society, we also need to hire more teachers. In the case of differently abled children, specially trained teachers will have to be hired,” said Nagpal, adding that the MCD is suffering from an acute scarcity of teachers. He said by implementing the new scheme, more posts will be created for teachers, and the MCD may ask the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board to appoint approximately 10,000 teachers, including primary, special, specialised and nursery teachers. The bio-metric system of attendance will be introduced in MCD schools to ensure presence of teachers. An annual record of schoolchildren will also be maintained.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 10:00
 

State owes civic body Rs 1,084 cr

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 09:52 administrator
Print PDF

Indian Express            10.11.2010

State owes civic body Rs 1,084 cr

sharvaripatwa Tags : BMC, Medical Education Posted: Wed Nov 10 2010, 06:02 hrs

Mumbai:  Among the pending dues to the cash-starved BMC is Rs 1,084 crore from the state government, the debt calculated as on July 2010.

Most of the debt, over Rs 820 crore, is in the form of grants the state has to provide the BMC. The highest is owed by the Education, Housing and Public Health departments; other debtors include Home, Women and Child Welfare, Revenue & Forests, and Law & Order.

The rest of the debt comprises various taxes, including property (Rs 60 crore) and water and sewerage (Rs 184 crore), on state properties. The departments from which taxes are pending include Industries, Medical Education and General Administration.

“These amounts have been pending with the state for three to four years and we have sent at least four to five requests to those departments. Many development projects are pending or delayed and work can be expedited if the state releases these funds,” a BMC official said.

Another official said, “Usually this is routine; there are dues outstanding both ways. But we keep making requests occasionally. The last communication was three weeks ago and we are hoping some funds will be released.”

“The BMC often requests some MLAs to raise demands in the Assembly and urge the government to release pending funds,” said Ravindra Waikar, MLA and Shiv Sena corporator. “In the last session I demanded the release of about Rs 700 crore pending from Education and other departments. It seems that the government does not have enough funds to pay BMC dues.”

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 09:54
 

2-lakh spend limit for CMC election

Tuesday, 09 November 2010 05:56 administrator
Print PDF

The Deccan Herald  09.11.2010

2-lakh spend limit for CMC election

Vijesh Kamath, Bangalore, November 8, DHNS:

The State government is all set to issue a final notification next week fixing the election expenditure ceiling at Rs two lakh for each candidate contesting elections to City Municipal Council (CMC), Rs 1.5 lakh for those contesting Town Municipal Council (TMC) polls and Rs one lakh per candidate for Town Panchayat (TP) elections.

Hitherto, there was no ceiling on election expenditure for urban local bodies. Once the new law is in place, candidates will have to maintain and furnish accounts of their election expenditure to the State Election Commission (SEC). There are 44 CMCs, 94 TMCs, 68 TPs in the State.

Suitable amendments will also be made to the Karnataka Municipalities (Election of Councillors) (Amendment) Rules to empower the SEC to disqualify a candidate if it decides a candidate has failed to lodge the account of expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed, sources in the urban development department said.

Candidates will have to maintain six different registers, to be updated on a daily basis, to record their election expenditure. Last year, the government had fixed the ceiling at Rs five lakh for each candidate contesting elections to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). For other city corporations, the election expenditure limit has been fixed at Rs three lakh. Poll expenditure limit is already in place for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

The new rules also stipulate separate registers need to maintained to record expenditure incurred by any other individual, political party, society or organisation on behalf of the candidate; to record the details of financial assistance received; details on expenditure on vehicles used; details on expenditure on public meetings besides details of expenditure on travel by leaders of political parties.

The registers should be entered every day and the same should be produced to any officer for inspection authorised by the State Election Commission at any time, the new rules states.

Highlights

*  New rules fixing poll expenditure limit for urban local bodies to be notified next week.
*  There are 44 CMCs, 94 TMCs, 68 TPs in the State.
*  Elections for urban local bodies are due in 2012.
*  Six registers to record election expenditure need to be maintained.
*  Failure to lodge the account of expenses can lead to disqualification of candidates.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 November 2010 05:58
 
More Articles...


Page 35 of 65