Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Towns and Cities

‘Corporation diverting SC funds’

Print PDF

The Hindu        26.08.2014

‘Corporation diverting SC funds’

Members of CPI(M) and Dalit Rights Committee staging a protest in front of the Mangalore City Corporation on Monday.
Members of CPI(M) and Dalit Rights Committee staging a protest in front of the Mangalore City Corporation on Monday.

A group of activists led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Dalit Rights Committee staged a protest in front of the Mangalore City Corporation on Monday alleging that the civic body has diverted funds reserved for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes to other public works.

In a memorandum submitted to Mayor Mahabala Marla, Sunil Kumar Bajal, city secretary, CPI(M), and Jaya Kumar, secretary of the committee, alleged that the corporation had diverted the funds for constructing compound walls of temples and retaining walls in public areas. These funds had been used to construct grounds, footpaths, repair of drains, they alleged. They said the corporation should reserve 22.75 per cent of its annual budget for the welfare of Dalits. They urged the corporation not to divert the funds for public works and instead use it for the welfare of their community or individual benefits.

 

Survey begins in GHMC limits!

Print PDF

The Hindu        19.08.2014

Survey begins in GHMC limits!

 Residents of various localities under the GHMC limits were caught off-guard when the government household survey, scheduled for August 19, began a day prior to the announced date.

GHMC assigned enumerators as well as other survey officials started conducting the survey from Monday morning itself citing paucity of time.

As per the government guidelines, the concerned officials should undertake two pre-visits to the assigned residences before the actual survey to be conducted only on August 19.

“Each house will take at least half an hour so how can I complete 40 houses in a single day?” questioned an enumerator, who is in-charge of a block in Jubilee Hills. “We have been given the survey books to take down all the necessary details. While visiting the allotted houses for a pre-survey exercise, I am trying to gather data and complete the survey for that house. Since many had a holiday on Monday, the process only became easier,” he said.

Some of the areas where the survey had begun include Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Malakpet, Himayat Nagar, Kukatpally and others.

“I plan to cover as many houses as possible till Monday night,” confided a cluster head and a property tax official from Malakpet, who had started the survey on Monday afternoon. “The reason we have decided to start early is because the residents are very unpredictable. They ask a lot of questions or take time to provide details. Since we already conducted one pre-visit, it does not make sense to have another and instead it is wise to start the survey,” he said.

The situation, however, has left many of the residents confused. “My mother called me to inform that survey officials had come to take details on Monday evening. Though I was sure it was on Tuesday, I rushed back home since I did not want to take any chances. After taking down the details, the official said that they would not disturb us the next day,” said N. Suresh Kumar, a resident of Srinagar Colony and a private employee.

Incidentally, GHMC Commissioners Somesh Kumar, earlier in the day and at an official press conference, denied any such advance survey being taken up.

 

Union Home Ministry plans to reconstitute NDMC

Print PDF

The Hindu       25.07.2014 

Union Home Ministry plans to reconstitute NDMC

The Union Home Ministry is learnt to have decided to reconstitute the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) midway as it will facilitate the replacement of four nominated Congress members in the 13-member body.

According to sources, while the file is learnt to have been approved by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, a notification to make the changes effective is likely to be issued within the next few days.

Currently, Ashok Ahuja, Tajdar Babbar, Suka Ram and I. A. Siddique are the Congress representatives in the Council, which provides civic amenities to the Lutyens’ Zone. With the decision likely to come into effect soon, sources said Thursday’s council meeting could well be the last with Congress nominees on the panel.

By virtue of being an MP from New Delhi, senior BJP leader Meenkashi Lekhi is already chairing the council meetings. Former Delhi Cantonment MLA Kanwar Singh Tanwar is likely to be one of the four BJP nominees to be appointed as council members.

If Mr. Tanwar is nominated to the council, a post which he held earlier for several years, he will be a council member alongside current Delhi Cantonment MLA Surinder Singh, who defeated him in the 2013 Delhi Assembly Elections and now occupies the room that was earlier with the former BJP legislator.

The council, which was established under the NDMC Act, comprises 13 members, including chairman Jalaj Srivastava, sitting MLA from New Delhi and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Singh, Ms. Lekhi and five other members who are officers with the Central and Delhi governments.

This apart, four members are to be nominated by the Central government in consultation with the Delhi Chief Minister. With Delhi being under the President’s Rule and the Lieutenant-Governor reporting to the Union Home Ministry, the decision lies with the Ministry to replace these four members.

The move will facilitate replacement of four nominated Congress members in the 13-member body

 


Page 29 of 870