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GHMC to the rescue of ailing sportspersons

Wednesday, 15 October 2014 11:37 administrator
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The Hindu       15.10.2014  

GHMC to the rescue of ailing sportspersons

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is contemplating a ‘pension scheme’ for outstanding sportspersons from the Telangana State who represented India in Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games but now ailing and in bad shape financially.

Thanks to the initiative of GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar, a meeting of the select sports fraternity was convened on Tuesday in this regard which was attended by members from the APOA, S. R. Prem Raj, Director of Sports, GHMC, and Olympian N. Mukesh Kumar and former India football captain Victor Amalraj. It was proposed to give Rs 10,000 each to the deserving athletes.

“I got this idea of giving pension when I met an old sports personality at a function few weeks ago who represented India and is struggling for livelihood. Therefore, I sincerely believe the GHMC can come forward to provide some lifeline to these great sportspersons who played for the country when big money was not there,” Mr. Somesh Kumar informed the gathering.

The entire amount for the year will be handed over in one go to the probable beneficiaries. In response to Mukesh’s intervention, the GHMC top official intervened to clarify that the pension scheme is not only for Olympians but can be applicable to the internationals who are in dire straits also.

“There can be graded system of payment of monthly pension in the case of internationals like Rs. 5,000, Rs.7,000 also depending on the eligibility norms,” Mr. Somesh Kumar told the gathering. And, the GHMC is not confining itself to giving these monetary benefits but also likely to rope in ex-internationals to ensure optimum use of the existing playgrounds.

“I am looking at year-long training at most of these venues in select disciplines depending on the chances of producing outstanding players,” the top official pointed out.

“We are optimistic of roping in some of the corporates to adopt some of the big GHMC playgrounds to lure local talent in different disciplines,” it was informed.

Mukesh suggested that the pension scheme being mooted should be a permanent feature and not disbanded with a change of order in the GHMC or the State Government. “Let this be a model initiative to everyone,” he said.

The next meeting on October 17 should see a clear-cut policy and framing of guidelines for this scheme.

Mulls pension scheme for players who represented the country at Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games

 

2,500 permanent staff for urban development

Thursday, 09 October 2014 10:07 administrator
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The Hindu        09.10.2014    

2,500 permanent staff for urban development

Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake has said that the government will begin the process of recruiting 2,500 permanent employees to the department within three months.

Addressing a gathering at a meeting in Mangalore City Corporation office on Tuesday where he received petitions from people, he said 5,240 sanctioned posts in the department were lying vacant. Of them, the State Finance Department has approved recruitment for 2,500 posts of official and clerical cadre.

In addition, the Cabinet has approved to recruit 1,000 pourakarmikas (civic workers) on a permanent basis. Their recruitment process would also begin soon. By recruiting officials, clerks and pourakarmikas, the method of recruitment through contract and outsourcing would be phased out.

Title deeds

The Minister said the government would soon issue a circular in connection with granting title deeds to those who had built houses on government land within the jurisdiction of urban local bodies. Once owners of such houses got title deeds the urban local bodies would issue door numbers to them.

He said the Union government had held preliminary discussion with urban development Ministers of States in connection with selecting cities for its smart cities project. Criteria for selection included population, heritage tag and presence of ports. If they were taken into account, Mangalore, Udupi, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Bijapur, Mysore and Bangalore deserved to be included. List of cities from the State was yet to be finalised, he said.

 

DDA, corporation ignore kiosk

Tuesday, 07 October 2014 12:09 administrator
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The Times of India       07.10.2014 

DDA, corporation ignore kiosk

NEW DELHI: Walking spaces may be shrinking fast in Dwarka, but the authorities seem to be turning a blind eye to illegal kiosks that are being set up along roadsides. On Nasirpur road, which is already choked with Metro construction and tempos creating a dedicated stand, an illegal kiosk set up four months ago has turned into a major traffic nightmare. Due to such impediments, pedestrians are being forced to walk on the main road along with the traffic thereby putting their lives at risk.

 


One of the kiosks set up along the road tried to cover its illegality by painting a sign that it was approved by MCD. However, this is what gave it away. Arun Banerjee, a local resident who filed an RTI on the issue, came to know that as the area was under DDA's jurisdiction, it was not possible for the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to allot a kiosk. "Several hawkers have been trying to make their temporary kiosks permanent by making brick structures. In this case, the owner was trying to pass off the illegal kiosk as genuine allotment by painting MCD on it," Banerjee said.

Armed with an RTI reply from DDA that SDMC could not allot a kiosk in its area, Banerjee approached the corporation. He got the reply that while no fresh allotments had been made in the area in the past five years, a shop was merely 'shifted' there.

A letter accessed through an RTI states that SDMC's administrative officer allotted space in Nasirpur Sector 1 to the kiosk applicant in July without the municipality having any authority or jurisdiction in the area.

DDA has written to SDMC to explain the allotment, threatening to remove the kiosk if they don't hear from the municipality. "Why hasn't DDA acted now that SDMC hasn't responded to its official communication? It shows a lack of intent by DDA," Banerjee said.

The busy Nasirpur road carries a bulk of Dwarka's traffic. With Delhi Metro having started construction of Dashrathpuri station the road has narrowed further. "Residents have complained to various authorities, including DDA, to remove the tempos that park there illegally, converting portions of sidewalk into a stand and clogging the road. But authorities brush our concerns aside saying that such matters are referred to police which carries out drives once in a while," Banerjee added.

 

 
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