news details |
|
|
| Sorry State of civic bodies | | | | The up gradation of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Councils to Corporations and of other civic bodies in the State to higher level has proved only a hoax. One and a half year after these civic bodies, with their enhanced status, came into being after elections held to elect their representatives, the cooperators in the Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations and Councilors in the Municipal Councils feel to have been cheated and taken for ride. The Municipal Corporations in two capital cities of the state are bereft of any additional powers and jurisdiction, which were not with the Municipal Councils previously. Holding of elections to these civic bodies, which stood superceded for more than two decades, with the government nominees heading these bodies, was a big achievement of the coalition government, led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, as these gave representative character to these civic bodies. However, all the green pastures shown to the people at large in the cities and towns as well as to the contestants in the elections to these civic bodies, about their role and functioning, have evaporated in the thin air. It is particularly the case with the Corporations of Jammu and Srinagar cities who have lost even the powers which were enjoyed by the Councils in the past. The Mayors of the two corporations, the very nomenclature of which brings to mind the prestige and honour attached with these posts, are only figure heads. The real power vests with the Municipal Commissioners, who are the nominees of the government and who can even over-ride the decisions of the general House of these Corporations. Despite all the assurances given at various levels for providing adequate funds to these Corporations and their functioning and jurisdiction extended, these prestigious civic bodies continue to remain starved of funds even to carry on their routine work of maintaining cleanliness and sanitation of the city. The fund crunched Corporations cannot even afford to recruit more Safai Karamcharies to sweep the lanes and drains, with the result that the heaps of garbage remain dumped on the road side and drains remain choked. No modern and scientific garbage disposal measures can be undertaken by the corporations, for want of adequate funds, even to put up containers for garbage disposal by the house holds and then their transportation and ultimate scientific disposal. The assurance of some of the public works like putting up lights in the streets and water supply to the house holds, to be transferred to these Corporations and funds earmarked from the same to be placed at the disposal of these civic bodies, have not been put in practice so far. Now the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad's advise to the Corporations to generate their own revenue for carrying on their routine functioning has created doubts about the intention of the government viz a viz these civic bodies. Any move by the civic bodies to impose any levy or tax on any section of the people, in order to generate their own revenue, will be resisted by the people likely to be affected by this step. Octroi, which used to be the major source of earning of these civic bodies in the past stands abolished, with government committed to compensate the bodies from revenue collected as toll tax at Lakhanpur. However, the corporations are also to be blamed for not properly utilizing the funds available with them and whatever funds have been advanced to them by the government are not utilized on the works required on priority. The footpaths put up in certain markets in the city by spending a lot of money, have proved only xtension of the shops by the traders, who display their merchandise on these, with pedestrians having hardly any utility of the same. This has also further squeezed the already narrow roads in the market places, with passage of traffic becoming still more difficult. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
