PATNA: Come October and about three dozen urban local bodies (ULBs), which cater to the main towns of Bihar, would have the services of support groups at their disposal.

These groups, consisting of varying number of members in accordance with the work load on a given ULB, would have experts having technical know-how to implement and manage projects meant for urban development.
British government’s department for international development (DFID) would provide consultants who would be members of these support groups and the cost of this service would be borne by the DFID itself.

“We have singed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for availing the services of support groups which would assist officials manning ULBs,” urban development department principal secretary Dipak Kumar said.

He said that the need of having this service was felt as the work of ULBs have increased manifold and apart from routine work of providing civic amenities to the residents, these bodies are also expected to carry out various projects of urban development which would usher in a very positive change in the towns of Bihar. “With existing manpower not having the expertize to carry out such works, presence of support groups would smoothen things and ensure timely implementation of various development projects,” Kumar added.

Support groups apart, the urban development department has also initiated the process to rope in the services of management degree holders in the form of city managers for all the 124 ULBs (municipal corporations, nagar parishads and nagar panchayats) of the state.

To be appointed on contract basis, these city managers would get a consolidated salary of Rs 20,000 per month and their selection would be made through a written test to be held in December this year.

“At present, the post of executive officers of most of the ULBs is held by officials of the administrative services and presence of city managers at their disposal would help them in managing projects of urban development in a more methodical manner,” he said.

Kumar said that their main work would be management of projects meant for delivering quality civic amenities to residents and for development of urban centres. “We are expecting to finalize the selection process by year end after which these managers would be deputed in all the 124 ULBs of the state,” Kumar added.

AHMEDABAD: The standing committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) reinstated six of their committee members when their term got over this year. The re-inducted members are Hemakshu Patel, Bhaskar Bhat, Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt, Vanrajsinh Zala, Kanta Parmar from BJP and Hassan Pathan from Congress.

The standing committee, which is the decision and policymaking body of the municipal corporation, replaces its members at the end of their one-year term. For a change this year, six of the 12 members who were due to retire this year were reinstated. The reason cited was that several policies and projects that were midway in terms of implementation or formulation required the six members to stay back.

"The decision to reinstate the members this year was taken by the entire committee. Such decisions are taken under exceptional situations. There are nine members from the BJP and three from the Congress in the standing committee at the moment. The members have already filled their forms in this regard," said standing committee chairman Asit Vora.

Newly elected municipal corporator from Raikhad Atiya Sheikh has been inducted in material management and purchase committee.