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91 municipal bodies in Odisha to go to polls on September 19

Tuesday, 13 August 2013 12:03 administrator
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The Times of India              13.08.2013

91 municipal bodies in Odisha to go to polls on September 19

BHUBANESWAR: The stage is set for municipal elections in the state as the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday announced September 19 for holding polls to 91 urban local bodies (ULBs). With this, the model code of conduct for the state government, political parties and candidates came into effect.

According to the election schedule, election officers will issue notices calling for names of candidates on August 16. Nomination forms will be issued and submitted between August 20 and 24, while scrutiny of nominations will be done on August 26. The following day the list of valid candidates will be published. Candidates can withdraw from the fray by 3 pm of August 29 while the final list of candidates will be declared on August 29.

While polls for the posts of 1,569 councillors and 40 corporators will be held in 3,010 booths between 8 am to 5 pm on September 19, counting of votes will be held the next day. Election for chairperson posts is slated for September 30. The poll process would be completed with election of vice-chairpersons on October 22, state election commissioner Ajit Kumar Tripathy told a media conference.

The commission notified the poll schedule six days after the Orissa high court vacated all interim stays and showed it the green light to conduct polls so that new councils could be formed before September 29. The five-year terms of 32 municipalities, 58 notified area councils (NACs) and Berhampur Municipal Corporation, will end on September 30.

For the first time, 50% seats will be reserved for women candidates, while SEBC candidates will have 27% quota. A maximum of 27,56,844 voters can exercise their franchise through electronic voting machines in the polls.

"The model code of conduct will be applicable to the entire limits of municipalities or NACs till completion of counting on September 20," he said. The code would also be applicable for rural areas close to the jurisdiction of poll-bound urban bodies. "Any programme, policy, project and others likely to influence voters in urban areas will be prohibited," Tripathy said. Relief and rescue operation could continue or start despite implementation of the code, he added.

Commission sources said polls would be held for 91 ULBs as the terms of 15 others, including Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), would not be over by September 30. While BMC's term would end on December 9, 2013, the tenure of the existing CMC and Baripada municipality councils is up to February 12, 2014. Other ULBs were polls would be conducted at later dates are Kendrapara, G Udayagiri, Phulbani, Paradeep, Balimela, Belpahad, Burla, Rairakhol, Sunabeda, Attabira, Nuapada and Hindol, sources added.

 

Nashik Municipal Corporation to make ID cards, uniforms must for staff

Tuesday, 13 August 2013 11:46 administrator
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The Times of India              13.08.2013

Nashik Municipal Corporation to make ID cards, uniforms must for staff

NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) will soon be issuing a notice with a one-week warning to employees instructing them to wear ID cards and uniforms. The civic body had earlier issued circulars in March and April.

The NMC has a total of around 5,000 employees. The civic body had issued circulars making it compulsory for all to wear ID cards.

According to the notice, NMC drivers, office boys and sanitary employees were also told wear uniforms. However, none of the employees abided by the notice.

Deputy municipal commissioner, Haribhau Phadol said, "We have just prepared the circular and will soon finalise everything. The circular will be sent to all NMC departments. It will direct employees to wear ID cards and 2,000 of these who are employed as drivers, office boys and sanitary employees will have to wear uniforms. The ID cards and uniforms have already been given to them."

Phadol, who is the officiating in-charge of the civic administration, said that the employees were reminded about this rule many times over the last one year.

Phadol added that till date no action was initiated against employees who did not follow rules.

However, the latest circular carries a warning of eight days, after which action will be taken.

"We have provided an 8-day-period for them to follow the order, or else we will initiate some action against those violating the rule," Phadol said.

The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), which had earlier issued circulars to its employees in March and April to wear identity (ID) cards and uniforms, will soon be issuing a fresh notice with a one-week deadline to abide by the order.

 

Varanasi Development Authority soon to get voice logger

Tuesday, 13 August 2013 11:43 administrator
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The Times of India              13.08.2013

Varanasi Development Authority soon to get voice logger

VARANASI: To get rid of extortion and delay of map sanctions, Varanasi Development Authority will be installing a voice logger soon. Keeping the success of voice logger in city control room of district police which brought a change in the working of police in attending complaints of the people, the district magistrate and vice chairman of VDA, Pranjal Yadav decided to install the same at VDA office.

"Now, people having any complaint against the staff regarding delay in sanctioning of their map application or any other problem can record their message on voice logger system. I will personally monitor each and every message on day to day basis," said the district magistrate and vice chairman of VDA, Pranjal Yadav while talking to TOI on Monday. He said that while reviewing the files of pending applications for sanctioning of building maps it came to light that seeking no-objection certificate (NOC) from Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) is a time taking process. Apart from individual house maps, maps of group housing projects are also lingering due to the same reasons. Keeping the same fact in view, he said, it has been decided to fix one day in a week for the disposal of such applications in VMC. He said that a VDA engineer has been assigned to compile a list of all pending applications in which sanction has been sought for constructions in 300 sq mt and above area.

The DM, who also conducted a surprise inspection of VDA offices on Monday, found that many officials were not present at their seats. Taking a serious note of it, a show cause notice was issued to them while several others were also cautioned. He also ordered for the suspension of Nazir as despite getting instructions in past weeks he failed to ensure proper cleanliness of toilets, offices and also the maintenance work. Some works especially of purchase were taken from the store in-charge DK Singh and handed over to an assistant engineer. Pranjal said that similar checking would be done on regular basis to bring improvement in the functioning of agency.

 
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