Fixed at an electric poll, a medium size hoarding carrying a message, 'Please don't dump garbage on alleys and give it to the sanitation worker or garbage collecting van only' welcomes each visitor to Karanpur block II, an area of Ward number 11. Several such hoardings are there in the area where citizens found a way out to keep their area clean by taking a pan citizen initiative that resulted into formation of a Kalyan Samiti.
Named as the Karanpur Block-II Kalyan Samiti, the body was formed around a year ago. It helped the locals stop running to the municipal body for each small civic problem. All this had begun around a year ago when instead of running to municipal body for every trivial civic problem, the locals decided to solve them on their own by making a little contribution.
The locals carried out several development works, including construction of speed breakers and patching up alleys and cleaning of drains in case of blockage, in the ward. The initiative made their voice heard in the municipal body for solving civic problems in the ward and ensured development.
The Samiti was registered around a year. It has locals as office bearers and members. The Samiti not only raises issues related to development and other civic problems in the area before public representatives, but also asks them to ensure development in the area.
locals consult the Samiti members for the problems related to development.
Treasurer of the Samiti, Ashwini Kumar Chaddha, said, "We were fed up with ignorance of the officials in the municipal body. They didn't pay heed to our complaints related to the problems in the ward. So, we decided to form a samiti that proved to be a great help. Now, problems related to the wards are solved on the priority basis."
He claimed that the Samiti carried out several small development works like patching up of alleys, construction of speed breakers and awareness campaign among the locals for keeping the ward clean. "Hoardings are effort to remind the people of their cooperation in ensuring cleanliness in the ward," he said.
Vice president of the Samiti RK Bahal said that the public representatives started paying attentions to the locals after formation of the Samiti. "Finding out solution to the problem on our own than depending on the municipal body is a good experience," Bahal said, adding that now he was also getting full support from the public representatives.
He did point out low voltage problem in a part of the ward. For that, the Samiti raked up issue before the local councilor who met the Power Department officials recently. The officials assured of solving the problem by May. Ward councillor claimed to have carried out development works worth Rs 1 crore in the area. Several roads were constructed and sewer line was laid in five colonies.
The sewer line solved long existing problem of moisture problems in the area. In order to remove the problem of water shortage, a tubewell was set up on the premises of DAV College after completing the complete formalities. The ward comprises around 5,300 voters.