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Forget Guinness, AMC has no sapling record

Friday, 15 February 2013 11:26 administrator
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The Times of India                    15.02.2013

Forget Guinness, AMC has no sapling record

AHMEDABAD: The ambitious tree plantation drive carried out as part of Swarnim Gujarat Prakruti Utsav in the city in 2010, has spurted dismal results. Two year down the line, the city's civic body has not been able to account for more than 30 thousand plants out of lakhs that were planted.
 
The mega plantation drive could not surpass this figure, but with participation from thousands, 4,62,717 saplings were still planted with 1.61,735 within AMC limits and 84,775 outside. In addition, in public-private partnership, 2,16,260 saplings were planted as part of the same drive.

However, two years later when an RTI activist Chintan Panchal sought information in October last from authorities, AMC's garden department could say that during a greening drive in 2011, they monitored the samplings randomly planted in chunk of 500 at 22 sites - 44,770 plants in all and found that 30,973 plants were alive. Besides this, the AMC did not reply to any question pertaining to expenditure incurred over green drive.
 
Petitioner's counsel Rashmin Jani said, "We supplied this data obtained under RTI laws to show how bogus the authorities' claims are. The executive engineer has promised to plant and grow more than double the trees that are supposed to be chopped near Nal Sarovar. When saplings do not survive in city area, who is to look after them in deserted places?"

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had began the drive to attain world record by planting 9.19 lakh saplings in and around the city. The aim was to claim a Guinness Book record, which was then held by Pakistan's Thatta, a semi-arid region in Sind where nearly 5.41 lakh saplings were planted in one go.

This information was placed before the Gujarat high court on Thursday during proceeding on a PIL filed by Jagega Gujarat to save green cover between city and Nal Sarovar.

Last Updated on Friday, 15 February 2013 11:49
 

Polls to civic bodies on March 7

Friday, 15 February 2013 11:11 administrator
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The Times of India                    15.02.2013

Polls to civic bodies on March 7

BANGALORE: Armed with the Supreme court directive to go ahead with elections, amid attempts by the Karnataka government to defer, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday announced that polls to 208 civic bodies including seven city corporations will be held on March 7.

Counting of votes will be held on March 11. Embroiled in its internal political problems , the BJP nor the Congress-JD(S) were keen on the polls, which will virtually be a barometer of urban voters response to the parties. The state government initially delayed preparing the reservation list for the wards and once the SEC approached the high court and the apex court demanded the polls should be held on basis of 2011 census.

However, the apex court in its order on Wednesday asked the government to cooperate with the SEC in conducting the polls, which will now be done on the reservation that existed in 2007----- the last polls.

Announcing the calendar of events here , State Election Commissioner C R Chikkamath told reporters that polls will be held to Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Bellary and Davanagere city corporations besides 43 city municipalities, 93 municipalities and 65 town municipalities. All these civic bodies make up for 4,976 wards.

The code of conduct will come into effect from Friday, which could mean that the state government cannot announce any new programmes for these districts. The poll notification will be issued on Saturday. The last day for filing of nomination papers is February 23, scrutiny on February 25 and withdrawals on February 27.

Civic bodies in and around Bangalore urban and rural will also go to polls.

Reacting to the SEC's decision, KPCC president G Parameshwara said: "More than welcoming the polls, the methodology to follow the 2007 reservation list was not fair. The polls should have been held on 2011 census basis."

Last Updated on Friday, 15 February 2013 11:50
 

Polls to urban local bodies on March 7, results on March 11

Friday, 15 February 2013 06:56 administrator
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The Hindu                        15.02.2013

Polls to urban local bodies on March 7, results on March 11

Staff Reporter 

Results to be announced on March 11.

Elections to seven city corporations and 201 city municipals councils, town municipal councils and town panchayats across the State will be held on March 7, the State Election Commission (SEC) said on Thursday.

Announcing the calendar of events here, State Election Commissioner C.R. Chikkamath said the results would be announced on March 11. “The code of conduct for the elections will come into effect from Friday morning, and the elections will be held based on the 2007 ward-wise reservation list,” he told presspersons.

The announcement comes a day after the Supreme Court directed State functionaries to cooperate with the SEC to conduct the elections.

‘Preparations over’

“I am bound by the Supreme Court directions. Division-wise meetings have been held already and preparations have been completed,” Mr. Chikkamath said.

When asked if teachers would be drafted for election duty as it would be examination season, Mr. Chikkamath said that the decision had been left to the deputy commissioners. “The elections are being held only in urban areas and will be over on March 7, much before the PUC examination is scheduled to start on March 13,” he said and added that the deputy commissioners are ready with the personnel required.

Last Updated on Friday, 15 February 2013 11:37
 
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