The Hindu             07.02.2014 

Directive to consider upgrade of municipalities

Special Correspondent

The government has instructed the Director of Urban Affairs to give his recommendations on upgrading the current grading of municipalities, considering the fact that most of the municipalities have expanded their area of jurisdiction, diverse tasks and powers under the Municipalities Act.

Replying to a submission on the issue by Benny Behanan, MLA, Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali said the grades of municipalities had not been revised after 1999, even though most of the municipalities had annexed many adjoining panchayats and expanded their area of jurisdiction.

The revenue and population of many of the municipalities had also gone up several fold.

As per the current grading, those with an annual income above Rs.70 lakh are given grade 1, those with revenue between Rs.40 and Rs.70 lakh are grade ,2 and the rest are classified as grade 3.

The government has asked the Director of Urban Affairs to study the annual income and population increase during 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 and to come up with recommendations on how the grades of municipalities can be revised, with proportionate increase in the number of employees.

The revision of grades of municipalities will be taken up after studying the recommendations, said Mr. Ali.

In another submission by CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on the urgent need for a bypass connecting Thalassery and Mahe, Minister for Public Works K.V. Ibrahim Kunju said the State government had written to the Centre that it may be allowed to take up the Thalassery-Mahe bypass as a stand-alone project.

The Hindu             07.02.2014

Udupi to get 30 low-floor buses in May

Special Correspondent

As many as 30 low-floor buses, which would be provided under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM), would hit the roads in Udupi city in either April or May.

These buses can ply within 20km distance (in one way from starting point to end point). The Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has already conducted a survey of the routes on which these buses can ply in the city. “We have already applied for the route permits to the Regional Transport Authority (RTA),” said M. Mahesh, Divisional Controller, Mangalore Division, KSRTC.

The introduction of these buses will help the students and senior citizens more than others as they would be able to get the concession available on these buses. Around 1.8 acres of land behind the present KSRTC Depot at Nittur on National Highway 66 here would be converted into a depot for the maintenance of these 30 buses.

“A separate depot and workshop would be set for the JnNURM buses,” said B.N. Rajappa, KSRTC Depot Manager, Udupi.

According to M.T. Reju, Deputy Commissioner, the KSRTC had sought route permits for Malpe and Manipal. But there was already thick bus density on these routes due to the operation of private buses.

The RTA had suggested to the KSRTC to run these low-floored buses on routes having lesser bus density or no buses at all. The KSRTC was yet to respond to this suggestion.

“After the KSRTC comes up with their proposal, we will hold a special RTA meeting and decide on the route permits.

There will not be much opposition from the private bus operators if the JnNURM buses ply on the less dense bus routes,” Mr. Reju said.

However the issue of where the bus stands, for these buses, should be located is yet to be resolved. There were proposals to start it from the existing City Bus Stand or some area near the Service Bus Stand or to construct a new Bus Stand exclusively for these buses near the present City Bus Stand. “All these options are open,” Mr. Reju said.