MCD cares two hoots for disaster drills
Saturday, 20 November 2010 07:58
administrator
The Pioneer 20.11.2010
MCD cares two hoots for disaster drills
November 20, 2010 1:50:27 PM
Parvaiz Sultan | Purusharth Aradhak
New Delhi
More evidence of MCD’s brazenness and its lack of respect towards Government norms has come to the fore. According to information available with The Pioneer, the civic body did not participate in even one of the over 60 disaster management mock drills organised by the Delhi Government. The L-G’s office was duly informed of the MCD’s absence at these events and a memo issued to the civic body.
Experts feel that had the MCD bothered to participate in these drills, precious lives could have been saved in the aftermath of the Lalita Park house collapse. The corporation’s disaster management team took over two hours to reach the spot while the standard reaction time is 20-25 minutes.
Even Raj Niwas did not take cognisance and never was the MCD asked to explain its failure to attend these drills, sources said. Such drills are routinely conducted for assessing the preparedness and alertness of the organisations concerned in an emergency situation. Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, it is obligatory for the civic bodies to participate in such drills.
Delhi Government sources said, “The MCD’s attendance at the mock drills has been poor though participation is mandatory. If any agency does not come, we issue memos and send a report to the Lt Governor.”
The MCD’s role crucial since it is responsible for debris removal, cleanliness and sanitation near accident sites. The 25-minute reaction window is considered good and a reaction time of about an hour is considered disastrous, sources said, pointing out that the MCD took two hours to reach the Lalita Park collapse site. Mercifully, the locals managed to bring out 65 persons alive from under the rubble.
East Delhi Deputy Commissioner SS Ghonkrokta said the agency was bound by the DM Act to participate in each drill organised by him. However, he refused to divulge MCD’s attendance details. Under the Act, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) is ‘Incident Commander’ at a disaster site.
On the other hand, MCD claimed that its role was limited to debris removal and ensuring road cleanliness and sanitation; therefore it attends limited drills. “In Lalita Park, the response time was more due to its location and narrow lanes around it. Where 2,000 rescuers should have been roped in, only 200 could be used owing to the tight space,” MCD’s public relations director Deep Chand Mathur said.
Mathur blamed the mess on the absence of proper management system. “There is lack of coordination among the agencies. Confusion exists over who will take the lead,” he said.
Last Updated on Saturday, 20 November 2010 08:25
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‘Intervention’ costs Rs 9.48 cr for BBMP
Saturday, 20 November 2010 07:57
administrator
Deccan Chronicle 20.11.2010
| ‘Intervention’ costs Rs 9.48 cr for BBMP |
| Bangalore, Nov 19, DHNS |
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) sanctioned a revised building plan without payment of Rs 9.48 crore penalty after the Chief Minister’s office intervened, according to Opposition leader in the Palike, M Nagaraj. |
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Firing a salvo against the BJP government that is buffeted by land scam allegations, Nagaraj said here on Friday under the administrator, the Palike went soft on Sigma Buildcon’s violation of building plans.
The company had obtained licence to construct a building with basement, ground floor and two storeys. But it built an eight-storeyed structure and sought post-facto approval by the Palike. The BBMP levied a penalty of Rs 9.48 crore for deviation from the sanctioned plan.
Residential purpose
The land on which the building came up was supposed to be used for residential purpose where as a shopping complex was allowed to be constructed there. The officials revised the building plan even without receiving the penalty, Nagaraj claimed.
He said there have been several illegalities during the rule of the administrator at the BBMP. |
MUDA: Leaving dreams unfulfilled
Saturday, 20 November 2010 07:51
administrator
Deccan Herald 20.11.2010
| MUDA: Leaving dreams unfulfilled |
| Shyam Sundar Vattam |
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A long wait With the government removing the clause that only bonafide residents are eligible to apply for the sites, people from all over the State are applying for the sites, writes Shyam Sundar Vattam
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Owning a site is a wish of most people. But it is still a dream for thousands of Mysoreans. The Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) which distributes sites has not allotted even a single site since 2005. It looks strange, but it is a reality.
According to statistics available with MUDA, as many as 1.43 lakh applications seeking allotment of sites are pending. The list is growing everyday with people across the State wishing to own a site in the heritage city. With the government removing the clause that only bonafide residents are eligible to apply for the sites, people from all over the State are applying for a plot here.
Not too long ago, people were getting sites without any hassles. There was no waiting list or influence from bureaucrats or netas to get sites allotted. The demand for sites increased only after the real estate shot up following the entry of multi-national companies and IT/BT companies setting up their units in the city. Since then the rates of sites and houses have gone up beyond anybody’s imagination.
A site measuring 20 ft X 30 ft in the new layout was once available at around ` 3 lakh to ` 4 lakh. And now the site of this measurement is not less than ` 18 to ` 20 lakh. The people belonging to middle class and lower middle class, who nursed a dream of building a house, are facing hardship.
In the present situation, sites are purchased by only those who are rich and can afford to buy even in open auctions. Now, a lot of private developers have got into the business of forming layouts and selling sites and houses. The people, who were once making a beeline before the MUDA, are now approaching the private developers.
The things have reached such a state that the real site-less people have to shelve their idea of buying a site and constructing a house. Unfortunately, the MUDA, which is supposed to protect the interest of common people, seems to be shirking from its responsibility and giving lame excuses of non-availability of open land for delay in forming new layouts.
The large tracts of land in and around the city are now in the possession of private developers who quote exorbitant prices for it. On the other hand, people who own sites in other cities were successful in getting one in the city too, without having to build a house here.
According to an estimate, thousands of vacant sites are there in almost all parts of the city. The owners of such sites are waiting for the real estate boom to reach its crescendo so that they could make good money out of it. Although, there is a provision in the rules to reclaim such sites in cases houses are not built within two years from the date of allotment, the MUDA is not ready to initiate such strong measures.
The officials claim that they do not have the recent addresses of those allotees to serve notices. Besides, according to them, it is a lengthy legal process for which it is not ready for.
The MUDA (formerly City Improvement Trust Board) was started by Mysore Wadiyars in 1904 for the systematic growth of the city. Other functions of the authority include formation of sites and distribute them among poor and middle class people.
The MUDA won the accolades of many for being prompt in the distribution of sites to the needy people without any delay. Thousands of sites were distributed during the tenure of D Madegowda for all classes of the society.
However, the authority seems to have lost its purpose post 2000 when the private developers mushroomed, thanks to the boom in real estate. |
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