VADODARA, July 21: Appointing a consultant to beautify the Vishwamitri river and other ponds, paying the Gujarat Electricity Board Rs 2.66 crore to shift electricity poles and auctioning 45,000 sq m civic land to raise money for civic amenities are some of the proposals to be taken up in the Standing Committee meeting on Thursday.The administrative wing has also proposed to allocate Rs 20 crores in the revised 1998-99 budget to implement Fifth Pay Commission recommendations for 12,000 civic employees and pensioners in addition to Rs 5 crore already allocated. The benefits will be available from April 1, 1996.Standing Committee chairman N V Patel said 47 proposals were on the agenda as no proposals had been cleared in the last three weeks because of the impending elections for the Standing Committee chairman.In his proposal, Municipal Commissioner G R Aloria stated that Environmental Planning Collaborative, an Ahmedabad-based agency, could be asked to prepare a feasibility report at a cost of Rs 5.50 lakh, including the consultancy fee. The agency could be requisitioned to plan the beautification of other ponds in the Vadodara Urban Development Authority area if it agreed to share 50 per cent expenses - in which case, costs would come to Rs 8.50 lakh - he said.The administration has also sought the permission to take four companies - Dhaliwal Tobacco Company, Dharampal Satyapal, Venkatash Pan Masala and Rita Enterprises - to court to recover fines amounting to Rs 1 crore for putting up gutka and paan masala banners during the 1996 Navratri.The administration also wants permission to give Rs 2.66 crore to the GEB to shift poles to make way for model roads. Aloria has also sought permission to make changes in the model roads as per government specifications.It has also proposed to auction 45,000 sq m civic plot.Permission has been also sought for the appointment of a consultant for laying a 40-metre ring road between Karelibaug-Petrofils Circle and Waghodia Road via Manekpark junction, as the existing staff were inadequate for the job. Other proposals deal with drainage connections in Tarsali and rules for fire tax. The administration has decided upon a four per cent tax on industrial houses and two per cent tax on high-rise buildings more than 15 m.Planetarium: The VMC's Sardar Patel Planetarium and the Amateur Astronomers' Association have organised a meeting of government, semi-government and private school principals on Thursday to discuss popularisation of astronomy at the Planetarium at 1 p.m. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (General) I B Peerzada will be present at the meeting.Encroachment: The encroachment removal squad on Tuesday cleared unauthorised handcarts, tents, sheds and a non-vegetarian hotel from a 1500 sq feet civic plot opposite Mitramandal Society in Nizampura. Residents of ward number 5 (E) (Babajipura), 6(F) (Sahajanand Apartment) and 9 (I) (Panigate) were fined Rs 12,600 for littering. Top
