The Hindu                      28.03.2013

Steps to secure ISO certification for civic body

Staff Reporter 

Malappuram municipality is taking steps to secure ISO certification, vice-chairperson K.M. Girija said while presenting the civic body’s Budget for 2013-14 said on Wednesday.

The certification could come by next year. The municipality would be raised to the standards of a Corporation in five years. Thrust had been given to drinking water supply, transport improvement, and solid waste treatment, she said. The Budget kept apart Rs.111.91 crore for various development activities. Malappuram would become a first-grade municipality this year.

As much as Rs.5 crore had been earmarked to set up modern abattoirs in Malappuram in two years.

As much as Rs.24 crore would be spent for solid waste treatment. Mobile incinerators would be set up at a cost of Rs.2.16 crore.

Grading

The municipality would offer three-star status to people who implemented waste treatment and rainwater harvesting schemes and set up solar power panels in their buildings. Such people would get privileges, including 10 per cent concession on building tax.

Privilege card holders would get municipal services 25 per cent faster than normal speed. Those who set up solar panels and implemented waste treatment at source would get two-star status. Those who implemented waste treatment alone would get single star status. They would get a tax concession of five and three per cent respectively. As much as Rs.20 crore had been earmarked for the second phase of drinking water scheme in the municipal limits.

The town would have round-the-clock water supply with the implementation of the second phase, Ms. Girija. Girl students would be given martial arts training under a scheme called ‘Penkaruthu.’

The budget allocated Rs.2.60 crore for infrastructure development of schools. A project called Suraksha Valayam will be implemented at a cost of Rs.50 lakh as an aid to the destitute and the indigent. The municipality would implement M-governance scheme from April aimed at making available government services on mobile phones. Applications for new building plans would be received online from next year. Biometric punching device would be installed at the municipal office to register employee attendance, she said.

The Indian Express                       26.03.2013

Civic market redevelopment policy approved; to be lucrative for builders

BMC's market redevelopment policy, tabled more than a year ago, was finally approved by the civic improvement committee on Monday with changes to make it more lucrative for builders. BMC proposes to charge builders lower premium on the sale component of the redeveloped market. Also, the civic body will not levy any charge on fungible FSI for the purpose.

The policy, which was tabled more than a year ago before the improvement committee, was sent back to the administration half a dozen times by corporators over the issue of premium to be paid by developers. Corporators had claimed that the premium was high, making it non-viable for developers.

The redeveloped market would be divided into three parts — resettlement area for licenced vendors, built-up area to be handed over to the BMC and built-up area to be used by the developer for sale.

The premium will be calculated on the ready reckoner land rate, which is significantly lower than the commercial ready reckoner rate. The existing urban development policy gives redevelopment an FSI of 1.33 to 2.5, depending on the year the market was built. The BMC-builder FSI ratio is 1:0.6 for markets in the island city and 1:1 in the suburbs, irrespective of market price.

"The redevelopment process of 25 civic markets had been halted over three years ago as builders claimed that incentives were not lucrative. We passed the original proposal of the administration after ensuring that the policy is lucrative not only for builders but also benefits BMC," said Ram Barot, improvement committee chairman and BJP corporator.

The premium on the sale component is calculated on the basis of the nature of construction. If residential, then 100 per cent ready reckoner rates are levied, if commercial, then premium is 200 per cent and in case of industrial, it is 125 of the ready reckoner rates.

BMC has 92 municipal markets, a majority of which are in dire need of repairs. They are broadly classified into three categories. Eighteen municipal markets fall under Category I, for which the civic body has issued Annexure II (the eligibility list, where a minimum 70 per cent consent from the tenants is needed for redevelopment). However, since the existing policy does not help BMC generate revenue, a new formula was devised for 25 markets under Category 2, where Annexure II will be issued as well. Crawford Market is in this category. The markets to be redeveloped include the ones at Andheri, Colaba and Khar.