JAMMU: Principal Secretary Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) Dheeraj Gupta chaired a review meeting to finalize the reorganization plan of Srinagar and Jammu Municipal Corporations.
The meeting reiterated that Government in its commitment to implement the 74th Constitution Amendment Act (CAA) is in the process of delegating several functions to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). These functions include urban planning, regulation of land use and construction of building, roads and bridges within the Municipal Area, public health, sanitation, slum improvement and up-gradation, provision of urban amenities etc. Some of the functions have already been devolved to the Urban local Bodies.
The Principal Secretary suggested several important amendments and also desired that the present and future functions of the Municipalities need to be kept in mind and adequate provisions be kept for works like sanitation, revenue records, Information Technology, new projects being undertaken etc.
The meeting was informed that with the increase in the scope of work of the Corporations, need has been felt to revise the existing manpower structure of the Corporations and suitably amend them, so that the Corporations are fully staffed to meet the future challenges. Furthermore, the present structure of the Corporation has been found to be deficient and requires augmentation.
Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Avny Lavasa, Director, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu, Veer Ji Hangloo, Additional Secretary, H&UDD Dr. R.S Sharma and others were present in the meeting, besides Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation Gazanfar Ali and Director, Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir Riyaz Ahmad attended the meeting through video conference.