The Hindu 23.11.2010
GVMC told to speed up reforms
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is under increasing pressure to implement some of the reforms to be eligible to draw the grant due to it from the Central and State governments for projects taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Unless the commitments are met, the corporation will not get the Rs. 438.25 crores due to it.
The reforms mainly relate to recovering operation and maintenance expenses for underground drainage (UGD) and solid waste management.
The municipal corporation has to collect user charges for underground drainage where the connections have already been provided. The other area is implementing solid waste management in 90 per cent of the city and covering 80 per cent of the city under GIS-mapping.
Municipal Commissioner V.N. Vishnu who attended a meeting held by the Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Bhoopal Reddy last week told reporters that the collection of user charges on UGD would be reviewed every week now to improve the coverage from the present 50 per cent to 100 per cent. For new UGD connections, Rs. 400 will be collected from BPL families and Rs.1,000 from others.
Besides, instead of implementing the ‘dustbin-free' model for garbage collection in phases the corporation has been asked to cover 90 per cent of the city by March.
GIS mapping
Mr. Vishnu said the GIS mapping would concentrate on the module relating to property tax to meet the target.
The Commissioner said to tide over the tight financial situation caused by the withholding of funds, the corporation would raise Rs.70 crores from internal resources and borrow another Rs.100 crores.
