Green Panel Whip On MCD: Build Parking Lots By Aug

Civic Body Will Have To Return Rs 811Cr Taken From Traders If It Fails To Meet Deadline

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has put the MCD on notice. It has asked the civic body to provide parking on 3,000-odd commercial and mixed-land-use streets by August.

``If the MCD fails to meet the deadline, EPCA will declare these streets no-parking zones and the civic agency will have to give back the Rs 811 crore that it has collected from traders in the form of conversion, parking and registration charges over the past four years,'' said EPCA member Sunita Narain. EPCA is monitoring the government's parking policy according to Supreme Court guidelines.

The MCD had collected the amount from traders to upgrade infrastructure and, particularly, create parking lots. But not a single parking lot has come up in the past four years.

MCD press and information director Deep Mathur told TOI: ``The money collected as conversion and parking charges is being used for various parking projects. We are also using it for other development projects such as upgradation of roads. There are thousands of traders who are yet to pay the conversion and parking charges and the civic agency is sealing their properties.''

But some officials in the civic agency admitted that a large chunk of the money collected had not been used as the parking projects had been inordinately delayed.

'Secretary of Lajpat Nagar Traders' Association D N Rajpal said: ``Each trader in Lajpat Nagar has paid Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh as conversion and parking charges but we are yet to be provided with a solution to the parking problem. On top of that, the civic agency has told us not to park our cars in front of our shops. We, too, don't want to park our cars in front of our shops but what alternative do we have?''

 When asked about the delay, MCD officials said most companies were not willing to invest in parking projects.

‘‘The automated parking projects were conceptualised on a build-operate-transfer basis but companies were not keen as most of the projects involved an investment of Rs 200 crore. In many cases, like the car parking project at Rani Bagh, we had to call tenders thrice before any company showed interest.’’

There are 143 surface parking sites in the city which can accommodate 15,000 vehicles. Delhi has over 60 lakh registered vehicles. With parking problems increasing by the day, the civic agency has floated tenders for 120 surface parking projects. It has also lined up several stack parking, automated multi-level parking and conventional parking projects. 

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : Source : times of India

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MCD Moots Plan To Widen Tax Net

The MCD on Monday gave its nod to the use of domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) as property surveyors that would help the corporation set up a database on the number of properties eligible for taxation. In the long run, this is likely to help the MCD shore up its revenues by bringing more houses in the property tax net.

The Standing Committee of the MCD passed the proposal, according to which DBCs, while making the rounds of homes to check mosquito breeding will carry a form that would have to be filled up by the owners.

Since long, the MCD has been trying to bring more people under the property tax net. Although in the last financial year, the MCD claimed to have collected record amount of property tax, it was attributed largely to the two amnesty schemes the corporation came up with. Only around 10 lakh houses are currently believed to be in the tax net. Officials maintain at least 22 lakh houses were not paying any tax.

Detailed news can be viewed from the link in headline above.

with thanks : source : asianage

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BSES Meters `Running Fine', Time To Pay Up

Nearly 4,000 power consumers, who contested their unusually high electricity bills in June 2009, will have to pay the original billed amounts over the next two months.

  Sources in BSES said the check meters installed at the consumers' houses to see if their original meters were running too fast have "consistently shown" the same readings as the original meters.

After the unusually harsh summer in 2009, thousands of consumers had contested their power bills. People queued up at various power grievance forums to file complaints and questioned the credibility of bills that were, in some cases, over 100 per cent of what was usually charged. "People claimed their bills showed spikes that went from Rs 7,000 to Rs 20,000 without any significant increase in consumption," a Power department official recalled. The discoms blamed the hike on the withdrawal of a 10 per cent subsidy by the Delhi government.

Following a long investigation into the issue, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) came up with a temporary solution.

Discoms were asked to install check meters for five months in houses of consumers who had contested their bills to check if the high bills were a result of fast running meters.

Detailed news can be viewed from the link in headline above.

With thanks : source : Indian Express


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MCD plans stray dog sterilisation camps

Taking note of the city’s record of 15 to 20 cases of dog bite every day, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is trying its bit to get rid of the nuisance of stray dogs. 

Clearing its long-awaited proposal, the civic body has given orders to open centres for sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs in the city.

The municipal commissioner has issued directions to identify land for the centres. Around 10 centres will be opened across Delhi, the maximum of which will be located in the Trans Yamuna area, as it has the highest population of stray dogs. 

“We want to do away with the problem of stray dogs before the Commonwealth Games. Dealing with stray dogs is getting tougher as we do not have sufficient number of centres to treat them and enough non-government organisations (NGOs) working for them,” said a senior MCD officer.

The corporation had outsourced the work of sterilisation of dogs to NGOs in 2003. A total of 10 NGOs were roped in by the civic body for the purpose. In 2008-09, 2,7199 stray dogs were caught for sterilisation, in 2006-07, the count was 18,428 and in 2005-06, 12,682 dogs were caught by the NGOs. The NGOs get Rs 445 for the treatment of every dog.

“The increasing number of stray dogs on Delhi roads is a big problem. We have been running dog sterilisation campaigns with the NGOs, but they have not yielded satisfactory results. Therefore, was decided to open our own centres for sterilisation of dogs where anyone can bring dogs for treatment,” said the officer.

Detailed news can be viewed from the link in headline above.

with thanks : source : Tribune

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Online RWA Directory : plz mail your contact details immediately

If you are from any RWA and you have not yet mailed us detailed information about your RWA for uploading in the Online RWA Directory, we again request you to please do the needful immediately. We require brief details about your RWA alongwith contact address, tel numbers and if possible, details of the office bearers. 

Please expedite. With best regards

B S Vohra
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rwabhagidari@yahoo.in

Dal Prices To Go Up At 400 Govt Outlets Will Be Effective From June 7

Now, even Delhi government is finding it difficult to keep the price of pulses under wrap at the outlets it had opened to sell essential commodities at a reasonable rate.

The food and civil supplies department on Tuesday announced an increase in prices of three varieties of pulses currently being sold at 400 selected outlets, including all Mother Dairy booths.

The price of chana dal has been increased from Rs 31/kg to Rs 32/kg while Kala chana will be sold at Rs 31/kg instead of Rs 30/kg. The increase will be effective from June 7.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : source : Times of India

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Low-Cost Meals For Capital's Poor

A nutritious and good quality meal for just Rs 15 is Delhi government's promise and aim for the hundreds of poor and homeless people in the Capital.

The plan includes dispatching mobile food units to areas predominantly inhabited by the homeless.

"We have already floated a tender for the scheme, which is expected to be operational sometime around the second week of June," said a senior offi- cial from the department of social welfare on condition of anonymity. The government is following the example of Brazil's `Homeless and Landless Unite' scheme under which the government provides subsidies to NGOs that prepare food for the homeless in community kitchens.

The government proposes to give the city's poor, shelterless population - mainly rickshawpullers, daily wagers, labourers and the like - access to regular but good quality, nutritious food items at a reasonable price through these food units.

The scheme, an extension of Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit's Apni Rasoi (community kitchen) pro- gramme, will reportedly be inaugurated on June 15. "These mobile food units will provide a thali with roti, dal, chawal, chole, etc., to the home- less at Rs 15," said Manoj Parida, principal secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare, Delhi.

The programme comes after an order each from the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court and will utilise the existing infrastructure of the mid-day meal scheme.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : source : Hindustan Times

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Groundwater Bill opposed

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly V. K. Malhotra has said that about 1,700 unauthorised colonies and slums would be deprived of water if the Delhi Government introduces the groundwater Bill.

Reacting to the proposed Bill, Prof. Malhotra said these colonies are dependent on groundwater for their daily needs.

"While the Government's concern over the falling levels of groundwater is shared by all, it is equally true that there has been no serious attempt by it to help raise the groundwater level. Now, by suddenly introducing the groundwater Bill, the Government will effectively cut off the only source of water for hundreds of colonies across the city," he said.

Prof. Malhotra said the Chief Minister, who is also the chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board, has failed comprehensively in improving its management and working: "Shortage of water is the single most important issue for most people, particularly those living in South Delhi. The Chief Minister has also failed to curb the growing menace of the tanker mafia in the city."

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : source : HINDU

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A request from RWA member to dispose puppies

RWA member from Mayur Vihar is willing to dispose 4 LAB, fawn colour puppies, original breed. If interested, you can call him on tel number 011- 22616385.

Towers of shame are towers of death

TOWERS OF SHAME ARE TOWERS OF SHAME
City plus and www.rwabhagidari.blogspot.com published above cited item.
Like others on this subject, I had high lighted the greed of concerned officers and political bosses which has resulted in to such dangerous situation.
The group formed to examine dangers will naturally go into all aspects including danger to human life.
My humble request that terms of reference be published in new s papers and public be invited to file written submissions and oral submissions.
If feasible, discussions be launched on TV CHANNELS.
KK GHEI
VICE PRESIDENT MADHUVAN RWA, NEW DELHI 110092

Traders Get A Month's Time To Pay MCD

Traders in the city now have a month's time to pay conversion charges to ensure their establishments are not sealed. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has also decided to come up with the rates that the local shop- ping centres need to pay.

HT, on May 28, had report- ed about the fact that although the MCD had decided to start the sealing drive, it had not informed the traders how much they were supposed to pay.

"Traders can pay conversion charges till June 30. We have decided that no units will be sealed until then," said MCD's Additional Commissioner R.K.Srivastava. Several councillors had raised the issue of sealing at a meeting of the standing com- mittee. The new chairman of the MCD standing committee, Yogender Chandolia, had said traders who wanted to pay the conversion fee should be given time to do so. "The system of collecting the charges at the MCD zones should be stream- lined. We do not want to put additional burden of sealing on the citizens," he said.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : source : Hindustan Times

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