Corp Decided To Work Strategy To Implement Infra Plans
A meeting here on Tuesday of the City Technical Advisory Group (CTAG), formed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, decided to work out a strategy to implement various infrastructure development schemes for the city under mission. Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra convened a meeting of the group to review the level of community participation in planning and implementing the schemes. The Union Urban Development Ministry’s mission stressed people’s participation in identifying needs of the city, planning the schemes and their implementation. The city Corporation should get the inputs of the community on the amenities it required. When Communist Party of India (Marxist) member C. Padmanabhan said at Monday’s Council meeting that the group was trying to put itself above the Council and undermine its powers, the Commissioner said the CTAG had only advisory functions and that its recommendations could be placed before the Council for its approval.
But, he also said that the Corporation was keen on using the inputs of experts in the field of engineering, infrastructure and environment who were in the group. He said the inputs could be of immense help to the city. Mr. Padmanabhan said the members of the group had stakes in various areas in the city and therefore they could not be allowed to decide what the city should have. Mayor R. Venkatachalam also assured the councillor that the group’s recommendations were not binding on the Corporation or the Council.
Sources in the group pointed out on Tuesday that its members were providing voluntary service for the city’s development and therefore there was no question of trying to undermine the Council. The meeting on Tuesday discussed irritants in the schemes that hampered their implementation. The group would work out strategies for individual schemes, to identify the problems and remove them. A fresh study of the entire City Development Plan might also be done as part of this exercise. The plan itself was not a final one, as the mission provided for the re-setting of goals for the good for the city. Co-ordination among agencies such as the Corporation, electricity board, police and revenue department was another area of focus as various facilities within the city were under their control. The aim was to provide clarity to the implementing officials on what the requirements were.
