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Ashok for more playgrounds

Friday, 29 October 2010 09:13 administrator
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The Hindu  29.10.2010

Ashok for more playgrounds

Staff Reporter

Without proper space, children are forced to play on the road, he says
Minister alleges lobby behind garbage disposal

No more private malls in city's core

areas: Ashok


THIS IS THE KANTEERAVA STADIUM:BBMP councillors should not demand more indoor stadia considering existing ones are used more often for exhibitions, Home Minister R. Ashok said.

Bangalore: Home Minister R. Ashok, also Minister in-charge of Bangalore South, advised Mayor S.K. Nataraj and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Siddaiah to look at developing more playgrounds in the city.

He was speaking after inaugurating the BBMP's zonal office at Dasarahalli here on Thursday. “There's no space for children in the city to play. Any available space is turned into a park, while children are forced to play on the roads,” he said. BBMP councillors were demanding indoor stadia. “Those we already have are used more for sales promotions and exhibitions than for sports activities. We need more playgrounds,” he reiterated.

BBMP properties

He also urged the BBMP to protect lakes and its own properties. “The BBMP's 1,224 properties have been leased out… some are being used as garages, welding shops and so on. We must recover them and use them for public good,” he said.

Mr. Ashok alleged there was a big lobby behind garbage disposal. “The BBMP is trying to bring in a new system and is also keen to adopt new technologies to generate electricity from garbage. The civic authority is spending Rs. 130 crore a year to dispose of garbage,” he said.

Garbage cess

Mr. Ashok said the State Government was not in favour of garbage cess. “However, the Centre has issued regulations in this regard. We will look into them and discuss it with the BBMP Commissioner and Mayor,” he added. He said Dasarahalli MLA N. Muniraju had taken up works worth Rs. 400 crore to develop his Assembly constituency. “We will soon sanction storm water drain works for Rs. 150 crore. This will entail removal of encroachments on raja kaluves. It will help prevent flooding during monsoon,” he said.

Problematic malls

Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Ashok said that several private malls in the core city areas were compounding the traffic problem. The Government would not permit such construction in the core area henceforth.

Last Updated on Friday, 29 October 2010 09:14
 

MCD sealing leaves two kids trapped inside building

Thursday, 28 October 2010 11:26 administrator
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Hindustan Times  28.10.2010

MCD sealing leaves two kids trapped inside building

In their haste to seal and demolish illegal buildings, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) left two children trapped inside their house on Wednesday.
A harried Tek Chand, a resident of Masjid Moth, had to spend hours pleading MCD officials to release his two children — aged 10 and 14  and mother after were left locked inside their Kotla Mubarakpur house by the sealing squad of the MCD.

“We have been living in this house for the past 45 years. We didn’t say anything when the MCD demolished the first floor a month ago. However, how can they seal our ground floor, which is completely legal? My children and mother are still locked inside,” said Tek Chand.

Losing all hope, he finally called up the police control room. However, the police said they were not authorised to remove the seal. Tek Chand and his wife were not at home at the time of incident. “My eldest son tried to convince the MCD engineer, but the latter refused to listen to the problem. The officials said they were given orders to take action against the house,” Tek Chand said.

“Later, the officials agreed not to demolish the house and just seal it for the time being   as all our belongings were inside. Two of my children and my mother, who were sleeping, didn’t even get a chance to come outside,” he added.

The MCD official, on the other hand, had a different story to tell. “We first demolished the first floor a month ago as it was completely unauthorised. Today, we sealed the ground floor because it was recently constructed and is illegal,” said a senior MCD official.

According to the civic body, Masjid Moth is an urbanised village, where properties that were constructed before 2007 were given protection under Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act for urbanised villages, 2008.
As per the law, sealing action cannot be initiated in those areas.

“All those properties in urbanised villages like Munirka, Lado Sarai, Shahpur Jat, where construction work have been carried out after 2007, are liable to MCD action.

The children and their grandmother were still inside the building till the filing of this report.
Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 11:47
 

No coordination panel meet on infrastructure projects in 2 years

Thursday, 28 October 2010 10:39 administrator
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Indian Express     28.10.2010

No coordination panel meet on infrastructure projects in 2 years

sharvaripatwa Tags : Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, mumbai Posted: Thu Oct 28 2010, 05:36 hrs

Mumbai:  Public agencies, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other state-run bodies have not held a coordination meeting in the last two years to discuss issues concerning infrastructure projects in the city.

The committee—Samanvay Samiti—comprises heads of all public agencies such as MMRDA, PWD, SRA, Airports Authority of India (AAI), MSRDC and collector and is headed by the chief minister.

Mayor Shraddha Jadhav on Wedendsay said she had written a series of letters to the Chief Minister, who heads the committee, to hold meeting as there several pending matters to be discussed. The latest letter to the CM was written in September 2010, she said.

“I have written four letters to the CM requesting him to meet Samanvay Samiti but he has not been able to find time for the same,” said Jadhav. “It is really essential that the committee meet soon as urgent infrastructural issues need to be addressed.”

The committe is yet to take some major decisions on slum encroachment along the water pipleines in Mumbai, desalination plant and related fund issues, central government and state government grants for several projects, disaster cell and security-related issues, issues concerning Deonar Abbatoir, pending grants to schools for mentally-challenged indivduals, matters relating to pension of schools, demand for police stations and a force to tackle slum enroachments, demand for no-toll tax on sealink for BMC vehicles, pending internal loan requests of 2009-2010 and various disputes with MMRDA.

According to ex-mayor Shubha Raul, the last co-ordination committee meeting was taken place in 2008 and it was conducted to take some decision on terror-related issues following the 26/11 incident. 

“An all-purpose inclusive co-ordination committee meeting has not held in the last six years” said Raul.

“Ideally, this meeting should happen at least once a year as it gives an opportunity all public agencies to meet, discuss, debate and find solution for ongoing or pending infrastructure and other projects,” said Raul.

According to her, “as the chief minister will be present in the meeting, heads of all agencies may actively involve themselves in the decision-making process”.

“Also, several projects will be put on fast track once the CM gives approval.”

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 10:41
 
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