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Special rules to set up cell phone towers

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The Times of India                  12.03.2013  

Special rules to set up cell phone towers

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has asked the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) to finalize special regulations for installation of telecom towers in Bhubaneswar and other urban areas in the state within 15 days.

State housing and urban development (H&UD) secretary Injeti Srinivas, while reviewing the progress of the proposed regulation on February 28, has asked the BDA to expedite the finalization so that it can be sent to the H&UD for vetting and subsequent approval.

"We have almost completed the draft regulation. We will send it to the government for approval within a week," BDA vice-chairman Vishal Dev told TOI.

Once the special regulation is in place, the BDA and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be empowered to regulate the process of installation of telecom infrastructure towers in the state capital.

As of now, there is virtually no regulation on the installation of towers, leading to mushrooming of illegal towers in Bhubaneswar. The city at present has nearly 265 towers of different private telecom companies. Though the state commerce and transport department had a few years ago formulated certain guidelines for the erection of towers, there was ambiguity over the executing authority.

"The existing guidelines are silent on who can take on the offenders. Recently, the BMC attempted to dismantle an illegal tower. But the company moved the court and got a stay order," said an H&UD officer. "While the BMC provides no-objection certificate, the BDA grants the permission for constructing towers on buildings," he added. The civic body charges Rs 12,400 for providing NOC for each tower and Rs 3,400 for renewal of the licenses annually.

Citizens have also expressed their concern on the issue after H&UD minister Raghunath Mohanty had admitted in the assembly last year that a few towers had been installed in the city illegally. "In some cases, towers have been constructed on age-old buildings, jeopardizing lives of people. Radio frequencies generated from the towers are also harmful for people," said Pramod Mohanty, a senior citizen.

Significantly, the school and mass education department had in September last year asked district administrations not to allow cell phone towers on school premises in view of health hazards.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 09:23
 

PCMC corporator Phuge disqualified for bogus caste certificate

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The Indian Express                      11.03.2013

PCMC corporator Phuge disqualified for bogus caste certificate

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has finally disqualified corporator Seema Phuge over the issue of submitting "bogus caste certificate" during the civic election held early last year.

Phuge had contested the civic election from Bhosari-Gaothan area (Ward 35-A) as an NCP candidate for the seat reserved for an OBC candidate.

The action against Phuge comes almost seven months after an FIR was lodged against her by the civic body, accusing her of furnishing bogus caste certificate while filing her nomination.

The Haveli tehsil sub-divisional officer had informed the Pune resident deputy collector (RDC) that his office did not issue any OBC certificate to Phuge, following which the RDC had intimated the PCMC commissioner about the matter.

Shiv Sena's Ashok Kotwal had complained that Phuge submitted a fake OBC certificate, demanding her disqualification. An FIR was lodged in August.

Investigations showed that the Pune divisional caste validity committee had not issued a caste validity certificate to Phuge. The committee had also asked the PCMC to file a criminal case against the corporator for furnishing bogus caste certificate.

Reacting to her disqualification, Phuge said the PCMC has taken the decision despite the matter being sub judice. "We are planning legal action against the civic body," she told Newsline.

The PCMC authorities, however, said Phuge's case was yet to be admitted by the local court, adding that civic officials concerned were yet to receive any summons.

 

The first single-window office by BBMP

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The New Indian Express                      11.03.2013

The first single-window office by BBMP

The Jayanagar 9th block office resolves several issues related to various departments | EPS
The Jayanagar 9th block office resolves several issues related to various departments | EPS 

In Jayanagar 9th block, the BBMP's office is different. Unlike the many offices it has across the city, this one stands out for being the first and a single-window at that, for all vital departments like public works, health and Bangalore water supply, sewage board among others.

An initiative strongly supported by CK Ramamurthy, who has been accorded a corporator status by BBMP, the office was as a result of the corporator's direct interaction with people. He says, "I realised that the public was facing lot of complications in sorting out their civic issues for which they had to go to departments which are in different areas."

The corporator discussed the plan with the concerned authorities of BWSSB as well as health and engineering who were more than willing to send in one of their official to the office, daily. "This will enable the public to interact directly with the officers and workers of the departments. Further, the representatives of these departments will be available in the office between 9 am to 11 am every working day to receive the complaints from the public directly and resolve them on the spot," he explained.

Being the first-of-its-kind in Bangalore, the Corporator wants the public to utilise the opportunity. "It's been in operation from past one month and we see people rushing during morning hours with their civic problems. Whether it is for tree cutting, dog menace, street light issue...every problem can be brought to notice here. We also have the ward committee people coming over to attend to public complaints. As a matter of fact, the public has requested me to put another department to handle tax issues. I will be speaking to the authorities concerned and try to address the requests as early as possible. Soon we will have facilities for senior citizens too," he said.

The facilities can be availed by people residing in Jayanagar 3rd, 4th, 5th and 9th block. "People from areas under ward no.168 can come and get their problems sorted out," said Ramamurthy.

The citizens have welcomed the new concept with open hands. "Often, I used to struggle running in various directions to get the civic problems sorted out. But this single-window has given us some relief," said Jagadish Kumar, a resident of Jayanagar 9th block.

 


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