Urban Development

Urban development draft policy for direct election of Mayor

Saturday, 14 November 2009 10:12 administrator

The Hindu 14.11.2009

Urban development draft policy for direct election of Mayor

Special Correspondent

Draft focuses on infrastructure development in small and medium cities

December 15 is last date for considering objection Draft envisages setting up of urban poverty alleviation authorities

BANGALORE: The long-awaited Urban Development Draft Policy-2009, the first by the State Department of Urban Development was released by Minister for Urban Development and Law S. Suresh Kumar here on Friday.

Mr. Kumar and Adviser to the Chief Minister on Urban Affairs A. Ravindra, who explained the salient features of the draft policy to the presspersons sought suggestions and objections to it by experts, NGOs and the general public. The Minister said that December 15 would be the last date for considering the objections. Mr. Ravindra headed the committee to prepare the draft. It envisages creating an urban arts/heritage commission for both Bangalore and Mysore and another for the whole State.

Prominent features

Setting up of a State urbanisation commission, replacing the State Town Planning Board, metropolitan planning committee for Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore, reorganising urban local body structure and introducing new mayoral system (directly elected mayor or mayor-in-council), abolishing urban development authorities, vesting planning powers in urban local bodies are some of the prominent features of the draft.

The draft envisaged launching a Karnataka urban renewal mission to focus on infrastructure development in small and medium cities, a la JNNURM, amending the Land Acquisition Act, Karnataka Land Revenue and Karnataka Land Reforms Acts simplifying procedures for acquisition and purchase of land and setting up Karnataka Urban and Regional Planning Act replacing Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act.

He said that the draft envisaged setting up an urban poverty alleviation authority/cell in the ULBs by revising the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board Act and restructuring para-statal organisations .

He said it thought of setting up an urban services regulatory authority by clarifying policy on cost recovery and subsidy (water, sewerage and transport), constituting ward committees in class I cities by direct election and neighbourhood committees in all municipal areas and devolving functions to ULBs as per the 12th schedule to the Constitution.

Last Updated on Saturday, 14 November 2009 10:14

Pune metropolitan devp authority soon, panel picks key areas

Friday, 13 November 2009 11:29 administrator

Indian Express 13.11.2009

Pune metropolitan devp authority soon, panel picks key areas

Survey of transport facilities, waste management and housing top the list

Even as an ordinance for the formation of Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority is on its way, the metropolitan planning committee — which will take the major policy decisions to be implemented by the authority — has set an agenda of key development areas to be submitted to committee chairman and Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.

Survey of transport facilities, water sharing, solid waste management and housing are the key areas identified by the MPC to be put up through the Urban Development Department. Senior UDD officers maintained that the meeting, delayed owing to Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, would be held soon.

“The committee has proposed a multiple mode transport plan for the metropolitan region with the help of the Pune Municipal Corporation, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation as well as the Lonavala, Talegaon and Alandi municipal councils and cantonment boards. We want a separate survey to be carried out while taking earlier surveys also into account,” said deputy director of town planning and MPC convenor Sadhana Naik.

The committee has sought a survey of all modes of transport for the entire region. “The corporations would conduct the surveys for any one kind of mode of transport — either for BRTS or for a metro rail. We want a survey that would assess all kinds of transport, especially for the fringe areas along with road, water and air connectivity.”

The agency conducting the survey is also expected to give financial options as the survey itself would cost about Rs 20 crore. While the MPC expects detailed funding options, it wants the agency to give a phased programme — with both short-term as well as long-term possibilities.

The other key areas are water sharing, solid waste management and housing projects. “Water distribution is very uneven. Plus, there is a need for multiple sites for garbage disposal and better processing units for waste management. With the population increasing, schemes for housing and slum rehabilitation also need to be addressed.”

The MPC is also keen to take up the issue of a revised land use plan for the metropolitan region spread over 3000 sq km. Though there is a regional town planning provision under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act, the plan was last published in 1998 and there have been many changes since then. “The MPC staff will assess the lands in use and those reserved for various uses.”

The committee has demanded a staff strength of 40, which will be housed in the divisional commissioner’s office.

A base map for collating satellite images with the help of Nagpur-based MR Satellite for the region has also been initiated. “Google images of the existing development and areas for development have also been sought,” Naik added.

Last Updated on Friday, 13 November 2009 11:31

Ashok sets January deadline for JP Nagar works

Friday, 13 November 2009 10:56 administrator

The New Indian Express 13.11.2009

Ashok sets January deadline for JP Nagar works

Express News Service

BANGALORE: A deadline of January 2010 has been set for the completion of the work on the JP Nagar underpass and the drain in Bilekahalli by R Ashok, Minister In Charge of Bangalore South, who inspected the work along with MLA Satish Reddy and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials.

Part of the work on the double drain at Bilekahalli is completed, Ashok said. Work on the parallel drain, estimated at Rs 30 crore, would begin soon and would be completed by the end of January, he said. Once it is complete, traffic will be allowed on the drain and this would put an end to congestion, the minister said, adding that the drain itself would solve the problem of flooding.

The BWSSB would also take up underground drainage work from Bannerghatta Road to Silk Board Junction, a distance of about 5 km. A pipeline of about 1,500 mm diameter would be laid at the cost of Rs 15 crore, which would be provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Ashok said.

The approval for this is expected in a day or two, the minister said, adding that encroachments and illegal constructions coming in the way of infrastructure development would be removed.

The work has been causing a lot of inconvenience to the residents of the area. Lakshminarayan, a resident of Bilekahalli, said that they do not have access to the main road and the road that they have to use is in such a bad condition that it is more logical to use very old cars.

Some of the work on the drain is complete and thus there is no heavy flooding. However, the work on the parallel drain is yet to be completed and because of this the residents are plagued by mosquitoes, he said.

“We are also told that the underground drainage work would be taken up here. If that happens, we will have no access to the road,” said Lakshminarayan.

“We have approached BBMP officials but their assurances are not of much use. Even the ministers who visit the area are more bothered about publicity than resolving our problems,” he said.

Sub-lease confusion in JP Nagar: Ashok

Ashok said that the JP Nagar underpass work should have been completed by now but was delayed because of confusion over the sub-lease of the contract. Now, the work would be completed soon, he assured. By December 15, one portion of the work is expected to be completed and the main road would be opened to traffic, while the remaining work would be complete by January 15, he said.

The contractor who has delayed the work and sub-let the contract twice would be blacklisted and a fine of Rs 50 lakh would be levied for causing delay, said the minister. However, the work would be carried on by the same contractor because changing the contractor would further delay the project, he said.

The work on the Kadrinahalli underpass, which is also delayed, will be completed soon and the contractor would be fined Rs 75 lakh for the delay, said Ashok, adding that further delays would result in strict action against the contactors.

BBMP elections

The government is not causing delay in the elections to the BBMP and the ward reservation notification would be issued within 10 days, said R Ashok.

Last Updated on Friday, 13 November 2009 11:02

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