NMC begins 18 Kumbh works worth 442.11cr
Friday, 31 January 2014 00:00
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The Times of India 31.01.2014 NMC begins 18 Kumbh works worth 442.11cr
NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has commenced 18 out of the 96 Kumbh-related works worth Rs 442.11 crore. Another 11 works amounting to Rs 94.43 crore are still in the tender process.
On January 16, municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare had asked all the heads of departments (HODs) of the NMC to submit the status report of the Kumbh works concerning their departments.
As per the reports, 96 Kumbh-related works have been assigned to all the departments, out of which, orders for 18 works costing Rs 442.11 crore have been given to contractors and they are in process of execution. Out of that, 15 are road related works worth Rs 427.62 crore, one for laying a bridge on the Godavari (Rs 6.13 crore) and two drainage-related works worth Rs 8.36 crore, sources told TOI.
Eleven works are in the tender process, of which works worth Rs 60.97 crore belong to the water supply department and three works worth Rs 15.29 crore are for construction of bridges on the Godavari, while another three works worth Rs 14.17 crore are related to sewage treatment.
Apart from that, tenders for 17 works, amounting to Rs 152.94 crore, are to be floated by March-end which include four works worth Rs 82.70 crore for Sadhugram, road works worth Rs 30 crore, temporary parking with toilet facility worth Rs 10 crore, two works worth Rs 7.52 crore from the water supply department, drainage works worth Rs 6.79 crore, work pertaining to medical services worth Rs 1.50 crore, two works worth Rs 2.10 crore from the electricity department and five works worth Rs 12.33 crore related to the fire brigade.
Speaking to TOI, an official from the NMC said, "Infrastructure works like roads, bridges and drainages, which require 15 to 18 months, are being undertaken first, while those that can be completed in a short period will be undertaken eight to 10 months before the commencement of the Kumbh mela next year.
In October 2013, the apex committee of the state government on Kumbh, headed by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, had approved a plan of Rs 2,378.71 crore for the district, including Rs 1,052.61 crore for the NMC. The Rs 1,052.61-crore Kumbh plan includes Sadhugram (Rs 82.7 crore), roads (Rs 462.5 crore), bridges (Rs 24 crore), temporary parking and toilets (Rs 55 crore), water supply management (Rs 96.23 crore), sewage treatment management (Rs 29.25 crore), medical services (Rs 31.58 crore), sanitary and health-related services (Rs 20 crore), electricity management (Rs 27.35 crore), fire brigade (Rs 24 crore) and land acquisition (Rs 200 crore).
The Kumbh mela is scheduled to commence on July 14, 2015.
29 towns across dist seek municipal council status
Thursday, 30 January 2014 10:56
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The Times of India 30.01.2014 29 towns across dist seek municipal council status
KOLHAPUR: As many as 29 gram panchayats in the district, including some prominent villages, have sent a proposal to the state government to achieve the status of municipal council. The self-governing bodies have sent the proposal, which has been moved from the Kolhapur district municipal council department, to receive funds and avail of benefits of the schemes meant for urbanization.
"For towns with such kind of status, funds are flowing through global banks and Union government-sponsored programmes and projects for urbanization which includes developing better amenities, infrastructure and modern facilities for the residents. All these 29 towns have already crossed the basic requirement of population size set at 10,000. The proposal is based on the 2001 census. Besides, in the last 13 years, the actual population has grown further," said Deepak Patil, Kolhapur district project officer.
Speaking to TOI, he said, "There is one municipal corporation (in Kolhapur) and nine municipal councils. Once the state government approves the proposal, these 29 gram panchayats will get the status of municipal council also. Thereafter, the total number of municipal councils in the district would be 38."
According to the economic survey report released last, the share of urbanization in the state is 45%.
The proposal sent to the state government, a copy of which is with TOI, states that Ichalkaranji and Wadgaon (Hatkanangale tehsil), Kagal and Murgud (Kagal tehsil), Malkapur (Shahuwadi tehsil), Jaysinghpur and Kurundwad (Shirol tehsil), Panhala and Gadhinglaj towns have the status of municipal council. Interestingly, Ichalkaranji being a major textile hub in the country has a population of more than one lakh falls under category 'A' among the municipal councils. Other municipal councils fall under category 'B' for having population between 40,000 and one lakh.
"Other places such as Gaganbawda, Hatkanangale, Chandgad, Radhanagari and Shahuwadi where major tehsil offices are located still have the gram panchayat status, even though these towns qualify for municipal council status," Patil said.
He said the process is being delayed due to pressure over the administration and the requirement for tremendous documentation. "Another reason for slow progress is the reluctance of local leaders and governing bodies to adapt to the change in status. Along with more funds and the liberty to utilize it, the maintenance cost of the establishment goes up. The tax structure has to be revamped. Higher taxes are introduced for revenue generation, though it is meant for better amenities," he added.
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