Urban News

The Hindu     23.12.2010

GHMC wants total ban on lollipop ads

HYDERABAD: The GHMC is demanding Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Roads & Buildings as well as the National Highways Authority to follow its example and pull out the lollipop advertising boards on central medians once current allotment periods are over.

The police had earlier demanded the municipal corporation to remove such lollipops put up on the central medians of its roads through a public auction as it posed a security threat besides causing distractions and obstructions to the vehicular movement.

Now, it has realised that other departments have been freely granting such permissions on a nomination basis without even informing the civic body though most stretches are located within city limits.

“Ad agencies are supposed to maintain central medians including greenery but at most places they are in pathetic state,” pointed out senior officials.

Central medians at most places are in a bad shape and in fact, have merged with the road carpet level leading to mishaps. Agencies, which pay only advertisement tax to GHMC and ground rent to the respective government departments, are also supposed to ensure that the height of the median is proper, say officials.

“We are forced to maintain all main roads under our jurisdiction even if they belong to other departments. We have also taken up greenery maintenance on some central medians,” they claim.

Senior officials also charge that agencies have been illegally putting up lollipops in more lucrative medians. For instance, one agency which became prominent during the previous Chief Minister's time put up lollipops from Mehidipatnam to Narayanaguda despite having got the nomination for Langar Houz to Shaikpet. Lollipops (1,723) belonging to eight agencies – Icatch, Janahita, MNR Outdoor Ads, Retail Scapes, Rishi Ad Media, See More Communications, Sneha Advertisers, Laxmipati Productions and Adways have been identified.

Municipal officials have declared that GHMC would get at least 50 per cent of the income generated from any advertising signboard.

The Hindu      22.12.2010

Rs. 558-cr. project for infrastructure development in north Karnataka

— FILE PHOTO

FOR DEVELOPMENT:Drainage work will be taken up in Gulbarga, Gangavati and Badami under the KUSIP project.

BANGALORE: The State Government has signed a $ 123 million (about Rs. 558 crore) loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for implementation of the second phase of the Karnataka Urban Sector Investment Programme (KUSIP) aimed at development of infrastructure in north Karnataka towns/cities.

The ADB and the Government signed the pact in New Delhi on Thursday covering 22 towns of north Karnataka.

The eight-year project was launched in 2008 with an investment of Rs. 1,980 crore in 25 towns/cities, officials in the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation told The Hindu here.

The agreement for the first phase with a loan amount of $ 33 million was signed in January 2008, and works have been taken up in three towns — Haveri, Hospet and Raichur.

The objectives of the project are to improve the environmental conditions of the towns/cities; reduce poverty in low-income areas through access to basic urban services; and improving the service delivery capacities of urban local bodies through institutional development.

“The second phase of the programme will assist the participating urban local bodies (ULBs) in rehabilitating existing and construction of new urban infrastructure facilities. It will also support the institutional reforms for the participating urban local bodies,” the officials said.

Based on the outcomes of the report of the High Power Committee for Redressal of Regional Imbalances, the Government conceived the KUSIP in its bid to boost economic growth in a region that has traditionally lagged behind. The 25 towns were selected based on criteria such as district headquarters of new districts; towns with above 50,000 population; and towns with tourism importance.

In the second phase, water supply work would be taken up in Yadgir, Bellary, Basavakalyan, Gokak, Davangere, Bidar, Shahabad, Nippani and Ilkal towns, drainage work in Gulbarga, Gangavati and Badami, sewerage work in Ranebennur and Jamkhandi, district information centres in Bidar, Raichur and Chamarajanagar, sewerage and urban drainage work in Bijapur (two packages), fire station and staff quarters at Dharwad and Ranebennur, construction of sewerage treatment plants in Hubli, and slum improvement works in various towns, the officials said.