The Hindu                         26.02.2013

Ward delimitation to be held once in 20 years

N.J. Nair 

The State government is understood to have mooted a proposal to restrict the delimitation of local body divisions to once in 20 years against the current practice of carving out new wards and civic bodies before every general election.

As per the provisions of the Kerala Panchayati Raj Act and the Kerala Municipalities Act, delimitation of divisions is warranted only after the publication of a census report, but it had turned out to be a routine affair before every civic election since 1993.

The latest census report is expected to be published in April and if the government decides to go in for delimitation this year, the next delimitation need be held only after 20 years.

Official sources told The Hindu here that the proposal had been mooted mainly to ensure a logical continuance of the development activities taken up by the civic bodies at the grassroots level. Frequent fragmentation of wards and merger of civic bodies would derail the development initiatives.

The same was applicable in the case of rotating the wards reserved for various sections such as the Scheduled Castes, Tribes and women. The frequency of the rotation of wards too had to be made consistent, if the proposal was to become truly meaningful.

The proposal will help the government save the expenses incurred for revising the electoral rolls. The Central Election Commission rolls are prepared on the basis of polling booths and the State Election Commission prepares the rolls for civic elections on the basis of wards.

Once the limits of wards are determined for 20 years, it will be easy for the State Election Commission to adopt the CEC rolls and make it more consistent.

It has also been proposed to complete the delimitation procedures a year ahead of the general elections so that the Delimitation Commission can complete the procedures in a fool-proof manner.

The powers for fixing the number of voters in each ward vests with the government. As the government does not attach due importance to strength fixation, the policy decision in this score is often delayed and the Delimitation Commission will have to rush through the procedures.

The Delimitation Commission will be able to start its functions only on getting a clear direction on the proposed strength in each civic body. The latest decision to complete the process a year ahead of the elections is expected to put the process in the right course.

The Hindu                           23.02.2013

Contractors say BBMP owes them big money

UNPAID:BBMP Contractors’ Association members gheraoed Commissioner Siddaiah demanding payment of pending bills on Friday.

 

They gherao Commissioner who promises to release Rs. 25 cr.

Scores of contractors tried to lay siege to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) head office here demanding the payment of their pending bills. They later gheraoed Commissioner Siddaiah, who promised to release around Rs. 25 crore in the next three or four days.

The contractors tried to enter the main building around noon but the security staff closed the gate. They did not raise slogans, but argued with officials and security staff to allow them to meet the Commissioner.

One of the contractors, on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu the BBMP had not cleared pending bills amounting to nearly Rs. 1,200 crore. The bills were partially cleared in November last, just a few days before Deepavali.

“Contractors are in dire straits because their pending bills have not been cleared. They are borrowing heavily at high rates of interest. Some have not been able to even pay their children’s school fees,” a member of the BBMP Contractors’ Association said.

Bribes and brokers

Another alleged that the BBMP’s Chief Accounts Officer’s (CAO) office was demanding bribes to sanction the special Letter of Credit (LoC), which is usually issued on seniority basis (i.e., the works that have been completed first).

“There are many brokers in the BBMP office who demand money from the contractors and get them the special LoC. It is only through these brokers that the contractors can get the LoC,” he claimed.

Mr. Siddaiah, who met the contractors and discussed their issues with them, conceded that pending bills had not been cleared for nearly four months now.

He assured the contractors to direct the officials concerned to immediately refund the FSD (Further Security Deposit) and EMD (Earnest Money Deposit) within three or four days.

“The contractors would have paid the EMD at the time of tender but may not have bagged it. The deposit, which is theirs, will be refunded shortly,” he said.

He also said the system of issuing special LoC had been “dispensed with completely”. “I have also directed the CAO to submit a note on the number of special LoC that have been issued and the amount for the same.”

He added that he had instructed the officials to release payment only on seniority basis.