MC passes improvement plan amid stormy scenes

SHIMLA: Amid stormy scenes, Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) passed the service level improvement plan (SLIP) for the city under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme during a special House meet on Friday.
The project, whose cost has been estimated at Rs 384.4 crores, would give impetus to five thrust areas -- water supply (Rs 43.60 crore), sewerage (Rs 33.87 crore), drainage (Rs 55.50 crore), parks (Rs 19.32 crore) and urban transport (Rs 232.14 crore).
The project plan was prepared after including suggestions from public, councillors and heads of departments, said municipal commissioner Pankaj Rai.
He said AMRUT would benefit this city under which Rs 500 crores would be spent in the next 5 years and if the city fulfills its 11 additional reforms, it will also get an extra 10 crore. "We are already fulfilling half of the reforms and are also looking forward to fulfill the rest including water supply, sewerage and parking," he added.
Some councilors, including Anup Vaid from Benmore ward and Sushant Kapret from Engine Ghar ward were not satisfied with the plan initially, saying that components recommended by them were not included. Responding to their resentment, mayor Sanjay Chauhan said though many of the councillors did not send their list of suggestions on time, the authorities would include their suggestions by Monday.
Suresh Bhardwaj, BJP MLA from Shimla, asked the mayor to include provisions for parking lots alleging that MC can't ignore this major menace anymore. "To tackle the parking problem, every empty piece of land should be utilized for parking," he added.
Deputy mayor Tikender Singh Panwar said as the SLIP has been passed by MC House, it will be sent to the state government for approval after which it would be converted into a state annual action plan (SAAP). The state government would forward the SAAP to government of India for final approval. "We also have to prepare the utilization certificate of Rs 52 crores by the end of December," he added.
Pankaj Rai said till now only three cities in Rajasthan, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have passed plans under AMRUT scheme and Shimla will become the fourth city if its plan gets approved on time. "Under AMRUT, SMC has decided to install water ATMs in all 24 wards of Shimla with an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore. Beside water ATMs, there is a provision of new parking lots, solar and LED lights," he added.