The Times of India         06.12.2010

Mega projects, garbage dominate Betalbatim meet

MARGAO: Issues pertaining to mega construction projects and garbage management dominated proceedings of the gram sabha in the Betalbatim village panchayat held on Sunday.

Following a heated debate, a resolution demanding that no mega construction projects be allowed to come up in the village, and proposals in that regard, if any, be placed before the gram sabha before forwarding them to concerned authorities, was unanimously adopted at the gram sabha.

Pointing out that the unsanitary and unhygienic situation prevailing on the Betalbatim beach was causing inconvenience to picnickers, the villagers urged the panchayat to put in place a proper system for regular and efficient collection and disposal of garbage from the beach. Sarpanch Michael Pereira assured that the panchayat would place adequate garbage bins along the beach, besides erecting proper signboards.

Villagers also expressed concern over the health hazard caused to locals owing to a piggery in the village, and demanded that the panchayat take immediate action against it. Earlier, the panchayat body was taken to task by the villagers for convening the gram sabha on a day and time that clashed with the local parish council meeting. Villagers also expressed their disapproval over the panchayat body's 'failure' in placing before the gram sabha an action taken report over earlier gram sabha resolutions as demanded by it.

The Times of India  03.12.2010

GURGAON: The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) is all set to adopt a new method to ensure cleanliness in the city under which maintenance of all sanitation work in each area will be sole responsibility of a specific contractor.

To implement the project on an exp2CLEAN.TIMis before expanding it to whole city, cleanliness work in village Molahera will be allotted to a contractor.

Explaining the project, MCG Commissioner Rajesh Khullar said that the attendance of all the employees of the contractor would be recorded through biometric machine. The contractor will be paid half of the total amount on the basis of attendance of his employees and the other half will be paid for quality of cleanliness work.

When contract of sanitation in village Molahera will be given to a contractor, he will be told about the conditions. Any person of the village can send a complaint about garbage lying in any of the streets by posting a photograph on the MCG website; subsequently the contractor would receive a message to get the garbage removed within half an hour from that place. The contractor, after getting the garbage lifted, can send the photo showing cleanliness on the MCGs website. If the contractor does not pay heed to the message and the garbage is not lifted then he will have to pay penalty for every hour of delay, said Khullar.

The commissioner said that an officer from MCG would also be deputed to check cleanliness in the village. If the officer also complaints about poor sanitation and uploads photo on the MCGs website, the contractor will have to pay additional penalty. If the photo of non-lifting of garbage by any person is put on the MCG website by 4 pm, the contractor will have to get it cleaned on the same day. If the photo is received after 4 pm, then cleanliness will be taken up from 7 am next day, Khullar added.