Municipal boss promises to change civic picture of Kanpur

KANPUR: Municipal commissioner DK Singh, on Tuesday, assured the corporators that he would try to change the civic picture of Kanpur.
Addressing KMC house and replying to suggestions and complaints of corporators, Singh said that he had come to know a lot about the city from them and take steps to improve the conditions. The municipal corporation had sufficient funds and it was capable to generate funds for development.
Speaking on the issue of roads, he said that there would be transparency in construction. There would be no compromise on standards. Action would be taken on complaint against erring persons. He asked the corporators to inform him on substandard work.
On sanitation, Singh said that it was a bitter truth that there was shortage of workers but situation would improve as A2Z had enhanced its workforce. KMC is also going to appoint contractual workers. "We would post five sanitation workers in each ward for one month as announced by the mayor earlier," he said.
Singh said encroachment is a disease. KMC would follow guidelines of high court and go for videography before the drive, during the drive and after the drive.
Singh directed the chief engineer to get all nonfunctional streetlights repaired and install new one where there is no light. He assured the corporators that he would conduct an inquiry in alleged Rs 9.5 crore light scam.
Mayor Jagat Veer Singh Drona announced that for sanitation problem of city he would provide five sanitation workers in each ward for a month, though this arrangement had not proved successful earlier due to mismanagement. This time corporators and others would verify the work. Mayor also announced two handpumps would be installed in each ward on the recommendations of the corporator. The KMC house meeting began half-an-hour late as coroprators reached late. BJP MLA Raghunandan Bhadoria, who is a nominated member, raised the issue of house tax and alleged that assessment officers were playing games while house owners were running here and there to get bills corrected. Maximum corruption was in road construction work as 35% commission and 20% below tender bid was in practice. After deducting 55%, what would be the standard of road could be anybody's guess, he alleged.
Bhadauria pointed out that city was reeling under acute water crisis. No new handpumps were being installed. The old ones are out of order or dry.
Suhail Ahmad of Samajwadi Party raised the issue of handpumps, water problem and stray cattle. Ashok Tiwari of Congress alleged that tax collectors were charging more interest.
Corporator Manish Sharma alleged that KMC had installed sodium lights after spending a huge sum of Rs 9.5 crores but most of these were out of order. Several corporators raised the problems of sanitation, water and streetlight in their wards
A spat between P Sahu of SP Atul Tripathi of Congress disrupted the proceedings for five minutes which resumed after the intervention of the mayor.