Toilets, specifically for womenfolk, to be built in different areas across the city.
Nagpur: In a significant decision, the Standing Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation on Tuesday approved development of roads, including cement roads, cement flooring, tarring, construction of safety walls around nallahs etc in different areas of the city at a cost of Rs 14.42 crore.
Ladies toilets:
In another important decision, the Standing Committee, after taking a severe beating from all quarters including High Court, accorded permission to Rotary Club Nagpur North East, on trial basis, to construct five toilets specifically for women. The rights to manage the toilets will rest with the Rotary Club for a period of three years. If the Club fails to manage to toilets in appropriate manner the toilets will be taken back by the NMC. The maintenance cost of running each toilet is Rs 1.62 lakh annually. The revenue from the advertisements, to be put at these toilets, is around Rs 66,000 from each toilet annually and it will be given to the Rotary Club. In the first phase, four ladies toilets will be constructed on priority basis at Variety Square, Jhansi Rani Square, near Nanga Putla Square Gandhibagh and Gokulpeth Market.
The Rotary Club of Nagpur North East had, on October 3 2015, put up a proposal before the Standing Committee. The Club initially showed its readiness to construct 50 ladies toilets across the city. But the proposal was made in such a way that it got approval for construction of 25 ladies toilets in the first phase. The Club had also sought rights for running the toilets for a period of five years. But the NMC refused the demand and allotted on three years. The proposal is to further construct five toilets each at 20 other places. Each woman will be charged Rs 5 for using the toilet instead of Rs 4 as envisaged earlier. The water and power meters will be installed in the name of NMC. However, the bills of both the meters will have to be paid by the Rotary Club. After clearing all the clauses in clear words so as to avoid mismanagement of the ladies toilets in future, the Standing Committee approved the proposal.
Fuel prices nosedived but still fares hiked:
The petrol and diesel prices have been cut considerably compared to earlier prices but the NMC, for the financial year 2015-16, has hiked the fare prices. The fares increased include Rs 18,000 for vans instead of Rs 15,840, Rs 24000 for Tata Indica instead of Rs 19800, Indigo’s fare has been increased to Rs 28000 from Rs 19800 and auto’s fare has been hiked to Rs 23000 from Rs 21600 per month. The fares pertained to the vehicles which the NMC deploys in the civic body on rental basis for various uses.
Chairman goes red-faced over slow pace of Property Tax recovery:
The Chairman of the Standing Committee Ramesh Singare gave a dressing down to revenue-related Government representatives on NMC including Nayna Gunde, Sanjay Kakde, Jayant Dandegaonkar, Pramod Bhusari and Madan Gadge for slow pace of Property Tax recovery. Singare said had the State Government not provided Rs 49 crore in lieu of scrapped LBT the working of the NMC would have come to a grinding halt. What is the use of such top officials at the cost of the civic body? The Chairman came to know that the Property Tax is being recovered at the same old rate despite the proposal of new rate (hiked) has been approved. A company named Cyber Tech has been given contract for surveying five and half lakh old properties and new properties through GIS mapping but the company has till to date only established its office and done nothing else. The company was awarded the Rs 6.75 crore contract in November 2015 and it has to complete the survey in 18 months. The Additional Deputy Municipal Commissioner Jayant Dandegaonkar was directed to submit a detailed report in this regard in the next meeting of the Standing Committee.
Present PRO may be sent to his original department:
On Monday, the Standing Committee had assigned a work to Acting PRO Ashok Kolhatkar regarding tender issuance but the PRO had already left the office. Subsequently, he was directed to return to office but the PRO reportedly refused to follow the diktat. The act on the part of the PRO irked the Chairman. Moreover, a retort by Kolhatkar added fuel to the anger of the Standing Committee chief. Taking the matter further, the Chairman directed the NMC Administration to send the PRO to his original department.
