ANAND OBEROIGANGTOK, 13 Sept: The Gangtok Municipal Corporation has registered nearly 5,000 trade licenses between July and August, since this responsibility was devolved to it. These licenses include new ones and renewals, both of which are being done through a computerized process for better record-keeping and retrieval, informs the Municipal Commissioner, Anil Raj Rai.
“We were able to carry out this massive drive and complete it in around two months. There were some initial hiccups due to the rates but these were revised and we have issued licenses to all eligible applicants,” Mr. Rai informs.
Alongside the issuance of licenses which is also open to late applicants at a Rs. 5 fine per day, the GMC has also managed to raise Rs.4 lakh through fines levied on civic offenders in the past seven months. The GMC, it may be recalled, had set-up CCTV cameras at various locations in and around Gangtok to keep a watch on garbage disposal at unauthorized sites, especially jhoras.
“The CCTVs have contributed the most to the fines collected and we are sure that more and more offenders will be made to pay these fines if they continue dumping garbage directly into the jhoras or for that matter at any public space,” he said.
It was also informed that the GMC now has a fully operatinal techncial wing which is ready to begin civil works.
“A full- fledged technical wing will enable us to carry out civil construction and repair works and we have decided to begin with repainting and renovating the parking plazas in the capital. We will start work immediately and complete it ahead of Dasain,” he informed.
The Commissoner stated that apart from the South-West Stand near the Police Headquarters, the remaining four parking areas in the capital will be repainted. The South- West Stand is set for a major repair and rennovation work in the coming days.
“The works have been sanctioned and we have asked Cooperatives to come forward to carry out the works at these plazas but only a few applied. If there are not enough Cooperatives to do the work, then the department will carry out the work on its own. This is a good move by the GMC since none of the buildings have undergone any facelift in the past seven to eight years,” he said.
The GMC also recently setup 40 new dustbins at MG Marg with an aim to keep the city’s most visited area clean, however, according to the Commissoner, the dustbins after barely a month, they need to be replaced.
“It is not even a month since the dustbins were installed and many of them have either lost their covers or are in a sad state because of the heavy pan stains. What we lack here is civic sense and also the lack of civil policing. At least the shopkeers in town can make an effort to be reponsible and speakup. You can’t expect the GMC to come and clean pan stains from dustbins every second day,” he expressed.
He also mentioned that apart from cleaning major public buidlings and places on a regular basis, the GMC is working hard with its limited staff; however, there are also instances when people have started to depend soley on the GMC to even clean up their own backyards.
“We have a bigger responsibilty and cannot go door to door to clean houses, we are a body which has the responsibility to clean public areas and cleaning ones own neighbourhood or their personal areas is that individuals and their society’s responsibilty,” he said.
“We were able to carry out this massive drive and complete it in around two months. There were some initial hiccups due to the rates but these were revised and we have issued licenses to all eligible applicants,” Mr. Rai informs.
Alongside the issuance of licenses which is also open to late applicants at a Rs. 5 fine per day, the GMC has also managed to raise Rs.4 lakh through fines levied on civic offenders in the past seven months. The GMC, it may be recalled, had set-up CCTV cameras at various locations in and around Gangtok to keep a watch on garbage disposal at unauthorized sites, especially jhoras.
“The CCTVs have contributed the most to the fines collected and we are sure that more and more offenders will be made to pay these fines if they continue dumping garbage directly into the jhoras or for that matter at any public space,” he said.
It was also informed that the GMC now has a fully operatinal techncial wing which is ready to begin civil works.
“A full- fledged technical wing will enable us to carry out civil construction and repair works and we have decided to begin with repainting and renovating the parking plazas in the capital. We will start work immediately and complete it ahead of Dasain,” he informed.
The Commissoner stated that apart from the South-West Stand near the Police Headquarters, the remaining four parking areas in the capital will be repainted. The South- West Stand is set for a major repair and rennovation work in the coming days.
“The works have been sanctioned and we have asked Cooperatives to come forward to carry out the works at these plazas but only a few applied. If there are not enough Cooperatives to do the work, then the department will carry out the work on its own. This is a good move by the GMC since none of the buildings have undergone any facelift in the past seven to eight years,” he said.
The GMC also recently setup 40 new dustbins at MG Marg with an aim to keep the city’s most visited area clean, however, according to the Commissoner, the dustbins after barely a month, they need to be replaced.
“It is not even a month since the dustbins were installed and many of them have either lost their covers or are in a sad state because of the heavy pan stains. What we lack here is civic sense and also the lack of civil policing. At least the shopkeers in town can make an effort to be reponsible and speakup. You can’t expect the GMC to come and clean pan stains from dustbins every second day,” he expressed.
He also mentioned that apart from cleaning major public buidlings and places on a regular basis, the GMC is working hard with its limited staff; however, there are also instances when people have started to depend soley on the GMC to even clean up their own backyards.
“We have a bigger responsibilty and cannot go door to door to clean houses, we are a body which has the responsibility to clean public areas and cleaning ones own neighbourhood or their personal areas is that individuals and their society’s responsibilty,” he said.
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