Councillors set for another study tour

While two groups of councillors have given their consent to go to Kerala,one group comprising more than 20 councillors want to go to Kolkata-Gangtok. Last year they visited Gujarat,but their report on various proposals was rejected by the UT administrator. The councillors had made recommendations like installation of musical fountain,door-to-door collection of garbage and night sweeping in the city. The last two recommendations were already being followed in the city.

Another proposal given by the councillors was about starting a fire academy on the lines of the fire academy in Surat. The aim was to train fresh recruits in fire fighting. The proposal was,however,rejected when it came up for discussion.

Councillor Kamlesh,who had mooted the idea of the fire academy said,“The need for the fire academy would be felt in the coming years in the city. While the proposal had been rejected last year it would see the light of the day. Through the tours we learn a lot of new things. Some can be implemented at that instance,while some concepts take time.”

In 2007,a section of the councillors had undertaken a tour to Singapore and Bangkok. They had come back with the proposal of setting up a park for the visually impaired. Touted to be the first of its type of park in the country,it has not come up the way it was visualised. Rather it looks like any other park in the sectors. Some other concepts including stringent charges for parking,etc were also studied,but never introduced.

Councillor Dr A P Sanwaria said he has raised the issue several times. Yet not much has been done. “The councillors can bring back suggestions. The implementation has to be done by the officers. The trip to Kolkata-Gangtok would prove beneficial as in Kolkata there is Mayor-in-Council. We keep talking of more powers for Municipal Corporation and this would be the perfect example. In Gangtok there are things like rainwater harvesting and floriculture that we can study,” he said.

The councillors had been on a trip to Chennai and had learnt that the corporation there earned a large share of its revenue through property tax. However,introduction of new taxes has always been a contentious issue in the civic body. A few years ago,councillors had gone on a trip to Bombay and Goa. Councillor Harjinder Kaur said they saw concrete roads in Bombay. In Goa the parking management was studied and one of the highlights was that the parking was managed by a group of women.

She now wants to be a part of the group that is visiting Kerala to see what difference literacy can make to decision making.