Urban Planning

'No free land to CPM-controlled Trusts'

Tuesday, 01 June 2010 07:32 administrator

The New Indian Express 01.06.2010

'No free land to CPM-controlled Trusts'

KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation on Monday submitted before the Kerala High Court that it had dropped the decision to allot free land to CPM-controlled trusts.

“In the light of the controversies, the Corporation is withdrawing the decision,” counsel for Corporation submitted.

The Corporation also submitted that the entire matter would be discussed at a properly convened meeting of the Corporation Council. The court has recorded the submission.

The allotment of land had earlier been approved by the Corporation Secretary and the Mayor. The petition against alloting free land to three Trusts was filed by Opposition Leader in the Corporation A B Sabu.

In the petition, it was alleged that the Corporation was making arrangements to allot over 66 cents of land to the T K Ramakrishnan Cultural Trust, 4.2 cents of land to the E K Narayanan Smaraka Trust, and 4 cents to the Koru Asan Smaraka Trust. “The land for the T K Ramakrishnan Cultural Trust alone is worth Rs 100 crore. The land for the E K Narayanan Smaraka Trust has a market value of Rs 30 lakh, while that for Koru Asan Smaraka Trust costs Rs 70 lakh. The move of the Corporation is illegal and is in violation of the Municipalities Act and the Kerala Land Assignment Act,” Sabu stated.

“These three organisations are the frontal outfits of the CPM. The law does not permit such allotment of land and misappropriation of funds by political parties. Besides, there are also guidelines or rules regarding the allotment of land to the organisations and Trusts,” he submitted.

Victory of judiciary, people: Opposition

The withdrawal of the Corporation from the decision to allot free land to the CPM-controlled Trusts is the victory of the judiciary and of the people, Corporation’s Opposition Leader A B Sabu has said in a statement.

The political superbia of CPM has prompted them to take a unilateral decision to allot land without discussing it in the council.

“The people realised CPM’s stratagem to allot land to its leaders under the guise of Trusts. This prompted the Corporation to submit before the court that the decision to allot land was dropped,” Sabu said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 June 2010 07:35

Unauthorised plot buyers to get relief

Tuesday, 01 June 2010 04:53 administrator

Deccan Chronicle 01.06.2010

Unauthorised plot buyers to get relief

June 1st, 2010

DC Correspondent

Tags: Unauthorised plot buyers

Hyderabad, May 31: The state government has decided to provide relief to new buyers of plots in unauthorised layouts under the Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS).

Till date only owners, who had bought property before December 31, 2007, could apply under the LRS. The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department has now proposed that those who bought property in the unauthorised layouts after that date should also be permitted to apply under the LRS.

Sources said the department had sought the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah’s permission for amending the LRS rules and for its further extension of three to six months. The government had introduced the LRS with the condition that transactions of respective properties should have been completed before December 31, 2007. “There are, however, several instances of property being sold after introducing the LRS,” a senior MAUD official said.

In such a scenario, the new owners were forced to approach the previous owners — who owned the property prior to 2007 — and convince them to apply for regularisation, but under the latter’s names.

Several plot owners had appealed to the government that they were facing many difficulties in adopting the above procedure for regularisation. “In some cases, the existing owners could not trace the previous owners. In others, the banks were refusing to provide loans to the existing owner as the application for regularisation had the name of previous owner,” the official said.

The MAUD, however, has said that owners should produce concrete proof that the property and layout was in existence before 2007.

Navy divers, disaster response teams, firemen in flood zones

Friday, 28 May 2010 11:47 administrator

Indian Express 28.05.2010

Navy divers, disaster response teams, firemen in flood zones

Express News Service Tags : disaster management, mumbai Posted: Fri May 28 2010, 01:09 hrs

Mumbai: The Navy and the National Disaster Response Force will join the BMC fire brigade in flood management as the city braces for a good monsoon this year. After a series of mock flood drills to train its personnel for rescue operations, the BMC has approached the Navy and the NDRF for help.

Nine Navy teams of 20 members, three NDRF teams of 45, and six Fire Brigade teams will be deployed at the city’s flood-prone areas, seafronts and beaches through the monsoon season. They will have modern flood rescue equipment and will be trained in rescue operations, said chief disaster management officer Mahesh Narvekar.

“The Navy has also agreed to deploy six specialised divers whose services can be very crucial if unfortunately we see a repeat of the deluge of July 26, 2005. They will be deployed on all high-tide days when the tide is higher than 4.5 metres,” said Narvekar.

Areas where the teams will be deployed include Colaba, Ghatkopar, Mankhurd, Worli and Malad and the five beaches: Juhu, Marve, Madh, Manori and Aksa. Pumps will work 24 hours a day to send floodwater into the sea. The BMC has made an emergency cash provision of Rs 1 lakh for each of its 24 wards.

The fire brigade has trained 170 employees in swimming and evacuation drills at the Mafatlal Swimming Pool in Grant Road. “We are also giving civil defence training to the firemen so that they can deal with any kind of disasters. Since the security of beaches is now a responsibility of the fire brigade, we will make sure all vacant posts of lifeguards are filled and there are at least five trained lifeguards at each of the five beaches,” said chief fire officer Uday Tatkare.

The BMC has set up 24 disaster control rooms, one for each ward. The cells will have the BMC’s senior disaster management officials who will take calls on helplines and coordinate rescue operations. The BMC’s website www.mumbaimonsoons.com started last year, will be fed constant weather updates from automatic systems that will be installed in each ward.

Ready for monsoon
The teams: 9 Navy teams of 20 members; 3 NDRF teams of 45 and 6 Fire Brigade teams at city’s flood-prone areas, seafronts and beaches; 170 firemen trained in swimming and evacuation drills

HELPLINE: 24 disaster control rooms, one for each ward, by BMC

Last Updated on Friday, 28 May 2010 11:49

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