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All municipalities permitted to outsource workers

Wednesday, 02 September 2009 03:25 administrator
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The Hindu 02.09.2009

All municipalities permitted to outsource workers

Special Correspondent

Panel to study upgrading of gram panchayats

 

Municipal authorities to ensure that outsourced workers are paid stipulated salary

Allocation of funds for SC/ST welfare hiked

Bangalore: The State Government on Tuesday took several important decisions pertaining to municipalities, including the constitution of a high-level committee to study the upgradation of a number of gram panchayats as town panchayats to ensure all round development of major villages in far-flung areas.

The other decisions related to outsourcing of municipal workers by all the 218 municipalities in the State and enhancement of the funds earmarked for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The eight City Municipal Corporations and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike have already been permitted to outsource municipal workers. There are 94 town municipal councils, 44 city municipal councils and 68 town panchayats in the State.

Talking to presspersons after the high-level meeting here, Minister for Municipalities and Local Bodies Balachandra Jarkiholi said the Director of Municipal Administration has been asked to study the necessity and feasibility of upgrading nearly 350 gram panchayats to taluk panchayats. There is also a demand to upgrade 52 taluk panchayats to town municipal councils but the director has suggested that this upgradation exercise should be restricted to 19 taluk panchayats.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who has left on a weeklong visit to China, is expected to call for a meeting of top officials of the municipal administration and urban development on his return and take a final call on the upgradation of the panchayats.

There are nearly 5,800 gram panchayats in the State and nearly a 100 of the 225 legislators have urged the Government to upgrade a large number of gram panchayats, which would hasten their development.

Mr. Jarkiholi said the municipal authorities have been directed to ensure that the outsourced workers were paid the stipulated salary and that they were not harassed by the contractors for whom they worked for. The salaries of the outsourced municipal workers will be paid by the municipalities concerned and the Government will provide the requisite grants for the purpose.

More funds

He said the allocation for SC and ST welfare in the municipalities had been raised from Rs. 191 crore to Rs. 300 crore a year. The SC and ST fund in the municipalities is derived from the property taxes of the respective municipalities and the Government grants. Directions have also been issued that 55 per cent of the amount set apart for the SCs and STs should be utilised for individual welfare (housing, scholarships and skill development) and the remaining should be utilised for community development programmes.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 September 2009 03:26
 

Heritage Structures go 'missing' from AMC records

Tuesday, 01 September 2009 11:10 administrator
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The Times of India 01.09.2009

Heritage Structures go 'missing' from AMC records

TNN 1 September 2009, 03:57am IST

AHMEDABAD: Civic body which runs a full-fledged heritage department has no idea about the number of heritage buildings in the city. The 12,500 buildings which come under Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have suddenly gone missing from its records.

At least this is what AMC's heritage department replied when asked 11 questions under Right to Information Act (RTI) by Nilay Trivedi, a resident of Nagar Wado, Khadia. In its reply, the department denied having any information about heritage buildings in the six municipal zones of civic body, including central zone which has the highest number of such buildings in the city. Areas including Khadia, Kalupur, Jamalpur, Raikhad, Dudheshwar, Madhupura, Girdharnagar, Dariapur and Shahpur comprise the central zone.

Trivedi filed an RTI to know the existing status of heritage buildings, which are slowly either turning into commercial hubs or being demolished for ulterior motives. "AMC authorities have been actively promoting rich heritage of the walled city but not much has been done on the ground level. Many valuable pieces of architecture from these buildings are making their way to the black market," Trivedi said.

He added that the replies he got under RTI categorically stated that heritage department has no record about the grading of heritage buildings. This was given to him on May 25, 2009. In September 2007, state government issued a new General Development Control Regulation categorizing heritage buildings in three grades depending on national, local and architectural importance.

Asked about the existing heritage list in AMC, in-charge deputy estate and town development officer, central zone, Rajendra Jadhav said, "There are around 12,500 listed heritage buildings in the central zone. Each of these are broadly categorized on their structural status fair and bad."

The RTI replies are signed by assistant manager, heritage, Rahul Shah. When contacted, Debashish Nayak advisor, heritage cell, AMC, said, "We have an existing heritage list but we have to see the reasons for which authorities failed to reply correctly to the applicant."
 

Civic body hires consultants

Tuesday, 01 September 2009 05:44 administrator
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The Times of India 01.09.2009

Civic body hires consultants

Sukhada Tatke, TNN 1 September 2009, 02:17am IST
MUMBAI: In a bid to keep its green and open spaces intact, the BMC has appointed three consultants to carry out the drawing, designing and lanscaping of these spaces. There will be one consultant each for the island city, and its western and eastern suburbs. Budgetary provisions for the same have been made.

According to officials, the consultants will be expected to guage the potential of a particular plot and think of methods to beautify it. They will also be involved in planning out the entire beautification process of the gardens and following up till it reaches its logical conclusion. This means, they will have to visit the sites taken up for development and beautification. The consultants will be given 3.5% of the contractors' fees.

"To ensure that the green and open spaces, including parks, gardens, recreational grounds and play grounds flourish, we will take the help of experts, nature lovers and nature scientists. Their expertise is likely to increase the green cover of the city and maintain it," said a civic official.

Deputy municipal commissioner C B Rokde said that the designing, drawing and landscaping of these gardens would add to the city's beautification. So far, the BMC has spent close to Rs 100 crore to spruce up 84 gardens across the city.

There are 1,000 open spaces in BMC's possession that occupy a total area of 1,200 acres. This amounts to an average number of 40-60 plots in each ward. BJP corporator Ashish Shelar said this is a good decision, taking into consideration the development of theme parks.

Greens, however, warn of possible environmental consequences.
 
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