As per the new guidelines of the Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF), the BMC Commissioner is now empowered to sanction up to Rs 30,000 to distressed persons within BMC area. likewise designated officers of the corporation of the Deputy Commissioner rank would also be authorised to sanction up to Rs 10,000 as per the need of the person, eligible for the CMRF fund.
A scrutiny committee under the Additional Commissioner will be formed taking Chief Medical Officer, one medicine specialist and one surgery specialist, Emergency Officer, Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Commissioner Social Welfare. While applications will be received from Monday to Friday for CMRF, on each Monday there will be a meeting to scrutinise the applications by the committee.
The BMC Commissioner instructed all the three Zonal Deputy Commissioners (ZDCs) to ensure timely release of money for Harischandra Scheme. All the ZDCs are now empowered to give cash money to the applicants in order to meet their emergency need. Presently, Rs 3,000 is given through cheque mode, but it was decided that the ZDCs shall give cash money after proper verification of documents as the families need the money desperately to do the last rites.
It was also instructed by the Commissioner to provide cash benefits in 48 working hours. For the smooth functioning of the Harischandra scheme, the BMC will provide enough funds for all its three zones.
The new BMC office building will be G+9 structure with state of the art technology. The tentative budget for the office project will be Rs 66 crore or more. The building shall have the office of Smart City’s Integrated City Operations and Management Centres (ICOMC). The proposed location of the new office building will be at Unit-IX area opposite the Satyanagar crematorium.
The ICOMC will house the master system integrator, which will manage the entire city’s digital needs to manage the intelligent traffic control and management system, the multi-modal transport system, encourage cashless transactions through use of a single card for the use in shopping, bill payment, transport needs, entertainment and all other transactions. It will also have a large video wall to be linked with the CCTVs to be placed in different corners of the city so that the video outputs can be monitored on 24X7 basis for efficient crime, situation and disaster control and management. It would also be integrated with the traffic signalling system to provide weather updates to citizens.
The Municipal Commissioner briefed on the success of AAC and also announced that BMC shall start preparation from now itself for the success of World Cup Hockey, which is scheduled for next year at the Kalinga Stadium Complex.
Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena informed that a high-level meeting was held with the NHAI officials under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary on various drainage issues. The NHAI would submit its report on the construction of drains in a month’s time.
Tourism Minister Panda declared that the department has already sanctioned Rs 5 crore to give facelift to many major roads.