GMC seeks more time to prep for highway care

GANGTOK, 04 Jan: The transfer of maintenance and upgradation responsibilities along the 16 km stretch of National Highway 10 [the erstwhile NH 31A] from Ranipool to Tashi View Point from the Border Roads Organisation [BRO] to the Gangtok Municipal Corporation [GMC] might take another two years.

Rs. 2.32 crore disbursed to cover 2,824 damaged houses

PHASE-II RELIEF HANDED OVER FOR EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE TO HOUSES IN GANGTOK MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
GANGTOK, 11 Oct: A total of Rs 2.32 crores in relief for house damages caused by the 18 September earthquake was disbursed, covering 2824 houses in the 15 wards of the Gangtok Municipal Corporation [GMC] here at GMC complex today.

GMC eases into its groove, seeks public support for civic solutions

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.

GMC begins keep Lall Bazaar clean drive

PARKING LOT HOSED DOWN IN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

ANAND OBEROI
GANGTOK, 04 August: The Kanchanjunga Shopping Complex at Lal Bazaar owns the ignominy of having become a “Please Litter Zone,” and the Gangtok Municipal Corporation has sprung into action to repair the damage by starting a phase-wise cleanliness drive in and around the locality.
Picking up from an initiative taken by a local organisation, Rising Service Cooperative, which along with the Lal Bazaar Hawkers Association that had cleaned 300 hawking stalls on the first floor of the complex last Thursday, the GMC has now, decided that cleaning the complex will be a regular affair now.

Highway drains receive official inspection

GANGTOK, 10 June: The East District Administration, in a follow up to the co-ordination meeting convened by District Collectorate with all the line departments including BRO on 08 June, took a team comprising of SDM, Gangtok, Dr. AB Karki, Deputy Mayor, Shakti Singh, Daragaon Councillor, Bhashker Basnet, senior officials of BRO, PHE, UD & HD departments and various others, and inspected all the trouble points along the National Highway upto Ranipool, Indira Byepass and areas above Gangtok today.
The team found most of the drains clogged and water supply pipes and even electric cables hanging in and over the jhoras. In some places, they even found fresh lots of garbage packed into cement bags and dumped in the jhoras.

GMC at work to crack capital’s garbage disposal challenge

Despite all the talk of deploying hi-tech gadgetry to check uncivil dumping, concern for the general health of the garbage collectors remains offensively uncivilised. They handle Gangtok's waste with literally no protective gear. And no one seems to be looking out for them or demanding better.

TRADE LICENCE RENEWALS IN 5-YEAR BLOCKS TO BEGIN APRIL 15
GANGTOK, 12 April: Garbage disposal has become one of the biggest problems facing Sikkim, and finding out means and measures to curb uncivil disposal has now become a priority for all the Urban Local Bodies [ULBs] which have now been entrusted this responsibility earlier held by the UD&HD.
The Gangtok Municipal Corporation [GMC] is approaching the problem with a combination of improved collection services and the threat of fines and penalties. Even as it presses more garbage collection vehicles on the roads, it has collected a whopping Rs. 3.18 lakh in the past seven months from fines and penalties imposed against improper garbage waste disposal in and around town. The fines have been collected from the 15 wards that fall under the GMC. Violation of rules in place against irresponsible dumping is punishable with fines of upto Rs.20,000 along with imprisonment.

Trade Licence renewal fee to be paid through Oriental Bank of Commerce challans

GANGTOK, 03 March [IPR]: A Press release issued by the Chief Municipal Officer, Gangtok Municipal Corporation, informs all Trade Licencees that fees for renewal of their licences have to be made through a Bank Challan from the Oriental Bank of Commerce. A bank counter has been opened within the office premises of the GMC.