Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
India Newspapers

AMC finalises agency for slaughter house project

Wednesday, 27 August 2014 09:25 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India        27.08.2014    

AMC finalises agency for slaughter house project

AURANGABAD: The standing committee on Tuesday approved the municipal administration's proposal to allot the contract of its ambitious project of modern slaughter house to a consortium. Standing committee chairman Vijay Waghchoure approved the proposal to give the contract to the consortium that is offering additional premium of Rs 2.6 crore to the municipal body.
 
The consortium of M/s Al Quresh Exports, Al Fatah Global and Javed Fateh Mohammad Choudhari has bagged the contract in commercial and technical bids held on Monday and Tuesday.
 
The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is looking to build a state-of-the-art slaughter house at Padegaon at an estimated cost of Rs 36 crore, of which the Union food processing and industries ministry had agreed to provide Rs 14.22 crore. But the consortium offered to bear the entire cost, including the ministry's share. "In the open bid, the consortium offered to bear the entire cost. Besides, it is also paying the civic body heavy premium and hence, won the bid," Waghchoure said.
 
At present, the AMC-run slaughterhouse at Padegoan is spread over four acres wherein more than 2,500 large animals are slaughtered every month.
 
Meanwhile, the municipal administration has extended the tender opening date for modernizing the city's streetlight system. Sources said the civic body extended the date after it received poor response from the bidders. Only two bidders have responded till date, sources added.
 
The civic body is planning to change the face of the city's streetlight system under the built operate and transfer (BOT) model. The AMC has been completing the formalities fast as it is looking at appointing an agency before the code of conduct for the upcoming state assembly elections comes into effect.
 
At present, the AMC is incurring an annual expenditure of about Rs 20 crore on account of electricity bills on close to 10,000 streetlights and their maintenance. But now, the civic body has planned to hand over the responsibility to a private player, who is expected to improve the existing system and operate it against annual charges.
 
Sakharam Panzade, city engineer in the AMC, had recently told the general body that most of the light fittings on the poles are on the verge of falling. "We need to replace it at the earliest," he had said.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 August 2014 09:28
 

The big scare: BBMP's dengue panel hardly met

Wednesday, 27 August 2014 09:00 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India     27.08.2014   

The big scare: BBMP's dengue panel hardly met

 

BANGALORE: The city may be in the grip of dengue fear with scores of cases having been reported, but the BBMP committee tasked with vetting causes of each fatality and follow-up action has hardly worked since 2013.

In fact, there are doubts as to whether the dengue death review committee was constituted last year, and if yes, who its members were.

Dr Manoranjan Hegde, chief nodal officer of BBMP's mosquito control programme admitted to TOI that the committee never met last year but did not explain the reasons.

According to guidelines issued by the government of India, each district must have a dengue testing lab and a dengue death audit committee.

The committee has to find the cause of every dengue death and zero in on the larvae sites that were the reason for the victim getting the disease.

Besides, the committee has to take up larvae source reduction drive and create awareness among the public about dengue control and hygienic surroundings.

According to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, there were only 12 death deaths in Karnataka last year, while the number of positive cases stood at 6,208. Doctors, however, say the cases are under reported.

Dr Prakash Kumar B G, joint director of the National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme, Directorate of Mosquito Control, department of health and family welfare, said the BBMP had conducted a dengue death review meeting in March 2014. "A death audit was conducted in the meeting," he said refusing to give any details. No preventive measure: Cardiologist Dr Ramana Rao said BBMP has been showing lethargy and inactivity in handling dengue cases, and its prevention. "A meeting alone would not have done much, but that should have been a major step to prevent dengue," he pointed out.

Referring to number of dengue cases, he said, "It looks like the virus has undergone a mutation and it is less threatening this year due to strains having become weaker. It is seen in the symptoms and thus dengue, in most instances, is not turning out to be fatal like it was last year." Slamming the civic body's apathy, Dr Rao said, "It is sad to see that the BBMP is doing nothing about mosquito control, eliminating places of mosquito breeding and towards uncollected garbage," said Dr Rao. It's shocking that the dengue death review committee did not meet even once last year. The lack of transparency and reluctance to share information about the panel only makes matters worse.

It's high time civic authorities woke up to the deadly disease and took steps to not only prevent it, but also to review deaths caused by it to stop its spread. 

 

MCD to be back in corporation names

Wednesday, 27 August 2014 07:49 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India        27.08.2014  

MCD to be back in corporation names

 

NEW DELHI: Owing to confusion in nomenclature of NDMC—New Delhi Municipal Council and North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the civic agencies will now have a new name. After two-and-a-half years, civic agencies have moved to amend DMC Act and, soon, municipal corporations will be called MCD North, South and East, respectively.

"There was a lot of confusion. Recently, we advertised for teachers' post and people turned up at New Delhi Municipal Council's headquarters in Connaught Place," said PK Gupta, commissioner, North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Even New Delhi Municipal Council officials say that, due to the confusion, people would call them up and enquire about advertisements issued by North Corporation. "People would call up enquiring about tenders and we will have to check with our officials," said a NDMC official.

The change in nomenclature for all three corporations would mean changes in many things—letterhead, corporation websites, etc. "Since many things are printed with the old name, we will still the use them till new orders are placed," said a senior North Corporation official.

Officials say that when the three corporations were formed and named, some the senior officials did point out the confusion that the two 'NDMC's will bring. "But that time it wasn't considered seriously. Now, the problem can't be ignored," said the official. Moreover, till date people still refer to civic bodies as MCD. 

 
More Articles...


Page 229 of 4907