Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh, who also holds the charge of Power Development Department and Housing and Urban Development Department, today stressed on the need to beautify the Srinagar city by ensuring cent percent cleanliness and end to illegal encroachments.Dr. Singh was today reviewing the functioning of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), where he asked the officials to prepare a comprehensive list of all illegal encroachments and commercial buildings lacking mandatory car parking. The list will help government to make a comprehensive policy that will deter future encroachments by way of enhanced punishments and imposition of fine. The meeting was informed that 19 commercial establishments have been sealed for not having the car parking facility.The Deputy Chief Minister asked the officials to prepare for the coming season which is expected to bring an increased number of tourists to the capital city. The meeting was informed that SMC collects around 400 MT’s of solid waste everyday, which is dumped at Achan.The Deputy Chief Minister assured that all help will be provided under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) to make Srinagar and other cities clean and beautiful.Dr Singh also gave green signal to SMC for purchasing a segregator machine. The Deputy Chief Minister also asked the officials to expedite the waste to energy project at the Achan dumping site, which will further reduce the garbage burden.
With regards to scarcity of staff at SMC, Dr Singh asked the officials to outsource the sanitation work, wherever it is possible. He also asked the corporation to devise an awareness campaign for the importance of segregation of waste at the source.The meeting was informed that the committee is currently working on 38 drainage projects in the city and 80 percent work on them has been completed. The committee has formulated Rs 410 crore project, for which a proposal has been sent under AMRUT scheme. The five year project will make available around Rs 80-85 crores to SMC every year.The Deputy Chief Minister also asked the officials of Urban Local Bodies to work together to make SBM a complete success. He was informed that the Urban Local Bodies have received 25349 applications for the construction of individual household toilets out of which 5006 have been already sanctioned. Dr Singh asked the officials to expedite the sanctioning of other cases too. Under the programme every household is provided Rs 4000 by Centre and Rs 8000 by state government for the construction of toilets.
12 community centres are also being constructed in various towns besides, 21 drainage projects have been taken up at as many towns. The Deputy Chief Minister asked the Urban Local Bodies to generate resources by utilising the assets at prime locations. He gave green signal for taking up a project under PPP mode at Handwara Bus Adda.The Deputy Chief Minister asked the officials to get ready for local bodies elections, which will be held in March 2016. “We want to bring the governance at the local level. Our motto is to ensure development of everybody,” said Dr Singh. Director Urban Local Bodies and other officials were present at the meeting.