Misuse of funds a grey area at Agra Nagar Nigam
AGRA: As the municipal body is poised to get new representatives, misuse of funds at the Agra Nagar Nigam remains an area of concern.
The municipal corporation relies heavily on government resources with funds being arranged from the State Finance Commission. It generates revenue from house tax, commercial tax, advertisements, hoardings etc. but loopholes exist in the system as complaints regarding irregularities keep on surfacing eroding the trust of the common man.
“When ‘chungi’ was abolished, there was uncertainty over revenue but the issue was addressed and various new sources were generated. State Finance Commission provided funds which also came with JNNURM schemes. In Agra, projects started under TTZ (Taj Trapezium Zone) schemes also brought funds,” said a resident Rajeev Saxena. “If properly implemented and realised with honesty, the own resources of nagar nigam can fetch sufficient money but those with vested interests come in the way of fair assessment of big establishments,” he said.
There is the need for fair approach in works like construction of road. A road laid in the city gets damaged soon and requires repair. This adds to financial burden which can be curtailed. Of late, nagar nigam has been laying much stress on outsourcing of work which again adds to financial
burden which can be avoided,” he said.
Nagar nigam officials are also waiting for the implementation of 74 th Amendment and are repeatedly citing the example of Madhya Pradesh. Municipal commissioner and subordinate staff visited Indore municipal body after it topped in Swachh Bharat campaign.
“The authority of sanctioning map for buildings within the city limit is vested in municipal body of Indore after 74th Amendment was implemented in Madhya Pradesh. We are empowered to issue challan but lack teeth to penalise those guilty,” Saxena said.
“In cities like Indore, dairies were effectively shifted out of city limits minimising threat of stray
animals within the city,” said a senior official of Nagar Nigam.
TASK UNDERTAKEN
Officials claim much work has been done in streamlining the collection of house tax. “Despite shortage of safai karamcharis, the task of cleanliness is undertaken with more effectiveness,” claimed an official. With recent complaints of burning of garbage, officials said they had begun the process of getting FIRs lodged against those found indulging in the practice. With the deadline of getting Agra city declared open defecation free (ODF) in March 2018 approaching, officials claim Agra Nagar Nigam teams were out in wee hours to nab those involved in defecating in the open.
Awareness programmes are also being carried out through such drives in different localities of Agra. The nagar nigam premises was known for filth and mismanagement but after the proceedings for Smart City taking shape, things seem to be changing. The galleries are cleaner, stairs painted and offices are better managed. The premises is now equipped with a lift and is decorated with lights on special occasions. The lawn ahead is also in better shape with the statues of Dr BR Ambedkar and saint Valmiki.