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Civic body to invest Rs50 cr for revamping markets

Wednesday, 06 October 2010 11:37 administrator
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Hindustan Times  06.10.2010

Civic body to invest Rs50 cr for revamping markets

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to revamp its old dilapidated markets into swanky malls.

The BMC plans to invest Rs 50 crore in the project to revamp 51 markets, work for which will begin in November after the Navratri festival. The proposal for 22 markets — 11 each in the eastern and western suburbs — in the first phase of the project, which will cost Rs 17 crore, would be put before the civic standing committee on Thursday.

As per the proposal, the 22 markets that would be revamped are at Kurla, Govandi, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bandra, Santacruz, Juhu, Jogeshwari, Malad, Kandivli and Borivli, among others.

There are a total 92 municipal corporation-owned markets in the city and most of them are in dilapidated condition. 

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray visited two markets — Laxmanrao Yadav municipal market in Kurla and Hutatma Babu Genu market in Ghatkopar — in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday.

Thackeray instructed his partymen to begin the revamp work after the Navratri festival is over.

Rahul Shewale, chairman of the civic standing committee, however, said, “We want to change the face of municipal markets and give them a clean swanky look.”

In 2007, the Crawford Market redevelopment controversy, in which the civic body was allegedly accused of helping a private developer, had halted the process of redevelopment of all old markets. Now, the civic administration is going ahead with the new policy to redevelop its old and dilapidated market buildings with its own common logo and common front elevation for all BMC market buildings.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 October 2010 11:41
 

Need to develop urban infrastructure stressed

Wednesday, 06 October 2010 11:36 administrator
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The New Indian Express  06.10.2010

Need to develop urban infrastructure stressed

KOCHI: It is estimated that by 2030, 70 to 80 percent of Kerala's population will be concentrated in the urban areas. Given this scenario, the need of the hour is to chart out a roadmap to improve urban infrastructure to accommodate the growing population, experts who took part in the infrastructure conference, Infracon2010, here on Tuesday have said.

The seminar was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries, Kerala, and the CREDAI. The speakers at the seminar said scarcity of land was a major factor hindering development.

At the inauguration, Sanjeev Kaushik, Secretary, Ports, Kerala, said the need of the hour was the creation of a land bank in the state.

"An inventory of land held by public sector behemoths would show that they own thousands of acres of land which are not being optimally utilised," Kaushik said.

He said the nonavailability of land had hindered the development of the strategically important, `5,000crore Coastal Highway Project. On the Vizhinjam project, he said land acquisition had gathered momentum and the project had to face several hurdles in its way.

"There was an uproar when, several years ago, the land acquisition for the project was first mooted. At present, about 120 acres of land has been acquired for the project," Kaushik said. Encouraging coastal shipping is of utmost importance. Since there are 17 major and minor ports in the state, it is time to go in for an environmentfriendly, green transport system for which Kerala has the strength, he said.

The conference is trying to present a roadmap for developing an urban infrastructure in Kerala, P Ganesh, chairman of CII Kerala, said.

K Srikant, chairman, 'Infracon 2010,' emphasised the need to market the land under government possession.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 October 2010 11:37
 

All ongoing projects in city to continue

Wednesday, 06 October 2010 10:58 administrator
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The Hindu  06.10.2010

All ongoing projects in city to continue

Staff Reporter

Corporation governing panel to review work
Weekly schedule to be drawn up

Governing panel not to take policy decisions

Kozhikode: The interim governing committee of the City Corporation decided on Tuesday to continue ongoing projects, including road repairs, within the specified time frame.

A meeting of the three-member committee, chaired by District Collector P.B. Salim, at the Corporation office asked the officials, particularly those of the engineering section, to execute the projects endorsed by the elected council whose term had ended. A weekly schedule would be drawn up to follow up the projects. The officials would have to submit a report to the committee on a weekly basis.

The committee, including Corporation Secretary S. Vijayakumar and Corporation Engineer Sheikh Ismail, will function till the new council comes into being on November 1. The State government had appointed the committee under Section 65(1) of the Kerala Municipality Act.

Dr. Salim said the committee would take no policy decisions. Its formation was a temporary arrangement, but that did not mean municipal governance would come to a standstill. All pending and ongoing projects, such as the EMS Housing Scheme, installation of streetlights, drinking water schemes and sanitation programmes, would be implemented within the specified time frame.

Taking part in the deliberations, K. Narayanan, Project Manager, Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Programme, explained the progress of its five components being implemented in the city.

The programme, financed by the Asian Development Bank, costs Rs.154 crore.

He said all works under the Rs.37-crore road and transportation component had been completed. The solid-waste management project would be finished this month. Tenders had been invited for the sewerage and sanitation and the urban drainage components.

Mr. Narayanan said infrastructure development works envisaged under the community and slum improvement components were apace. Schemes had been completed in 14 of the 40 colonies where the project had been implemented.

He requested the governing committee to speed up the proposal to acquire around 80 cents (0.3 hectare) of land for setting up seven pumping stations for the sewerage.

The committee approved invitation of tenders for distribution and collection of election materials and for providing loudspeakers at counting centres for the Corporation polls. Tenders had been approved for Rs.96,000 for lighting arrangements at polling stations.

It decided to sanction Rs.50,000 each to three returning officers — the Fisheries Deputy Director; the District Social Welfare Officer and the Deputy Collector (Land Recovery) — for poll-related expenses in 75 council wards.

Corporation Additional Secretary M. Kunhimohammed attended the meeting in the absence of the Corporation Secretary.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 October 2010 10:59
 
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