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All set for early local body polls

Monday, 11 March 2013 10:21 administrator
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The Times of India                    11.03.2013

All set for early local body polls

HYDERABAD: Chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is said to have got the nod from the Congress high command to hold panchayati raj elections next month. According to party sources, the CM discussed the poll prospects of the Congress with the national leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi during his Delhi sojourn last week when the party candidates for the MLC polls were finalised. Kiran Reddy is believed to have convinced the high command on holding the panchayat polls at the earliest.

As the CM expected to consult party colleagues and the government officials on the issue on Monday, a Congress leader said the panchayat elections are expected to be notified by April 25.

"The CM is bullish on holding polls for panchayat institutions and urban local bodies (ULBs), and the issue was majorly discussed in the cabinet meeting held last week. I think the polls will be held in April-May," said the Congress leader.

With the Supreme Court giving the go-ahead with the existing pattern of reservation, there are no legal hurdles for holding elections to the local bodies that was put on the backburner two years back.

While the term of the local bodies including 22 Zilla Praja Parishat (ZPP), 1,100 Mandal Praja Parishat (MPP), 108 Municipalities, and 16 Municipal Corporations ended in July 2011, the state government dithered to hold elections.

However, with the Congress claiming to have won 454 out of 955 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) that went for polls last month, the CM is planning to take the momentum forward to win the local body elections billed as the semi finals before the 2014 general elections.

While the principal opposition party TDP won 276 PACS, YSR Congress had to satisfy with 163 and the TRS with 60 PACS. The party's performance even in the District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) polls was much satisfactory.

As pressure was being mounted on the government to hold the elections right from the expiry of the local bodies elected in June 2006, a legal hurdle had come in the way in the form of a reservation case pending in the Supreme Court.

While the government wanted to conduct the polls with the existing pattern of reservation that ensures 30% quota for backward communities, the High Court had struck it down, saying overall reservation including SC/ST quota exceeds the mandatory cap of 50%. The state government had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order, and the apex court set aside the HC order on February 18 this year.

As the political parties are grappling with the various internal issues and yet to gear up for the polls, the Congress wants to hit when the iron is hot and showing all urgency to conduct the elections for the local bodies.

"The party leaders feel, if we can repeat the PACS show in the local body polls, then the upbeat sentiment can be taken forward for the general elections," said Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, an AICC secretary and member of the Legislative Council.

With the SC giving the go-ahead with the existing pattern of reservation, there are no legal hurdles for holding elections to the local bodies.
Last Updated on Monday, 11 March 2013 10:24
 

Children have nowhere to play but on the streets

Monday, 11 March 2013 06:12 administrator
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The Hindu                    11.03.2013

Children have nowhere to play but on the streets

The palike cannot be renting out playgrounds such as this one at Shantinagar in Bangalore denyingspace for children and youth, says BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah.— PHOTO: Saurav Kumar
The palike cannot be renting out playgrounds such as this one at Shantinagar in Bangalore denyingspace for children and youth, says BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah.— PHOTO: Saurav Kumar.

Playgrounds in the city, the few that remain, are being used for other purposes, in the process depriving children of play spaces.

A few years ago, the government woke up to the shortage of playgrounds and contemplated a scheme to bring children back to the playgrounds in the city. But nothing has happened in that direction. And, the city’s children have no choice but to play on the streets.

Take the corporation-owned playground in Shanthinagar.

The gym lies dismantled in a corner while the playground is “let out” for political and community functions.

Not only the children in the surrounding localities, but also students from two private schools — SN English Medium School and Wisdom International School — in the area used to play here.

With the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) not maintaining the space, the children have been forced out of the playground.

The headmistress of SN English Medium School said that children from her institution regularly used the playground. When the BBMP rents out the playground, the children are forced to play in the school’s corridors, she said.

A spokesperson of Wisdom International School said the institution books the playground for sports day. “Though we use the playground only for a couple of hours, we pay Rs. 2,500 for it,” the spokesperson said.

Prabhakaran N., a resident, said that he has been playing in the public playground for the past 15 years.

“There have been times when we had to return home because the playground had been rented out for some function or the other,” he said.

It is similar at Malleswaram playgrounds. Even this play area is rented out by the BBMP on a regular basis for various community and political events.

As if that was not enough, the playground is sometimes used as parking space by BBMP garbage trucks. The young sports enthusiasts who use these playgrounds complain about the lack of basic amenities such as drinking water and toilets.

According to Sunil Yadav, an advocate, it is illegal to rent out these spaces for purposes other than what they are meant for. “These spaces are not meant to be used as a means to generate income, unless notified,” he added.

He said that the use of the space for purposes other than what it is meant for is in violation of the zoning pattern and land use as indicated in the Revised Master Plan 2015 and the Parks, Fields and Open Spaces Act.

While a senior BBMP official admitted that playgrounds were being rented out for various functions, BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah said that this issue had not come to his notice.

“The BBMP cannot be renting out playgrounds and denying the space for children and youth. I will look into it and issue a direction putting an end to this practice,” he said.

 

Pipeline delays trauma centre, jacks up cost

Saturday, 09 March 2013 11:01 administrator
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The Indian Express                09.03.2013

Pipeline delays trauma centre, jacks up cost

The Trauma Centre at Jogeshwari planned by the civic administration has been delayed by almost an year leading to a Rs 14-crore cost escalation. The delay was attributed to a misjudgement by the private consultant appointed for the Rs 106-croreproject.

It was expected to be completed last year and now be ready only by September. The consultant had apparently failed to trace an underground pipeline at site, officials said.

The civic officials have found a 1,200-mm diameter underground pipeline where the hospital basement will be located.

The consultant did not know about the pipeline at the plot. It was not possible to shift the water main as the plot is small. The pipeline bursting and posing a risk to the building in future was cannot be ruled out, said a senior civic official.

The BMC will levy a penalty on the consultant. "The construction is now being carried out in a way that repairs can be carried out without causing much damage to the building. We have decided to construct a wall around the pipeline for safety measures but this is leading to delay and increase in the project cost,' said city engineer, Jeevan Patgaonkar.

 
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