Jagadeesan asks officials to continue drive

SURAT, May 2: A day after the civic administration came in for scathing attack from angry councillors at the general board meeting of the...

SURAT, May 2: A day after the civic administration came in for scathing attack from angry councillors at the general board meeting of the Surat Municipal Corporation for what they called 8220;slackening cleanliness drive8221;, Municipal Commissioner S Jagadeesan asked health department officials to ensure that cleanliness drive was not hampered.

The civic chief, at a meeting of health officials on Saturday, asked them to hire extra manpower if needed. 8220;All requirements, man and material, will be met to face the monsoons8221;, the commissioner assured the officials.

A number of councillors had at Friday8217;s general board attacked the administrative wing for ignoring the cleanliness drive. The drive had been hampered in Begampura, Katargam and Varachha areas due to large-scale digging for laying pipeline and drainage.

However, when contacted, Deputy Commissioner Hamp;H I C Patel claimed that the cleanliness drive was on with full vigour. He said Operation Health Care launched by the health department was on for about one month.

Former mayor Geetaben Desai complained in the meeting that residents of Sangrampura-Begampura had been exposed to a health hazard as the digging had damaged the drainage and the drinking water pipeline.

Dr Kishor Lakhani, member, health committee expressed apprehension whether the work to lay drainage lines would be completed before the rains. He said the speed at which Lamp;T, which has been given a contract to lay storm-water drains, was working was far from satisfactory.

While Lakhani said only 20 per cent work had been completed, Patel maintained that laying of pipeline and drainage lines would be completed before monsoons. He said work was on in Katargam, Varachha and Begampura.

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Meanwhile, the Fire brigade staff has threatened to go on a strike from May 15 if their long-pending demand for introducing the shift system is not met.

The firemen are since the past four years been demanding that eight-hour shift system be introduced. Currently, 450 firemen and drivers of fire brigade department work round-the-clock. While senior officials say with the introduction of the shift system firemen will lose a number of benefits, that includes free electricity, rent-free accommodation and risk allowance, standing committee chairman Ajay Choksi expressed confidence that the issue will be resolved till Tuesday.