Criticising the decision taken in the Cabinet meeting for according ownership rights to residents of slums and unauthorised settlements in the State, Mayor of Dehradun Vinod Chamoli called it a decision taken mainly for political benefits.
Chamoli said that in view of the coming lok Sabha Election and with the objective of obtaining political advantage, the Cabinet had ordered regularisation of the slums. He stated that three years back a survey of the slums was conducted and in the recent Cabinet meeting, ministries have ordered a fresh survey of the areas, which is irrelevant and ordered mainly for political benefits.
After the survey done in 1999, around 75 slum houses were marked as regularised and their residents have been paying house taxes since then. later around 129 slums were marked but government has not imposed tax on their residents, stressed Chamoli. He said that this approval was also given by the MCD board members but nothing has been implemented yet.
He said that instead of ordering a repeat survey, government should try to execute the existing slum policy, which was introduced by the BJP State government. He said that due to lack of execution by the State Government, the funding for regularisation and improvement of slums is also getting hampered.
Instead of playing politics on the serious issues government should fix the widths of the rivers, which would stop illegal encroachments on the riverbanks and riverbeds. Meanwhile, talking on the solid waste management issue, Chamoli said that the MCD is facing much difficulty in maintaining the sanitation arrangements of the city due to the regular interruption of ministers and government.
The officials of the MCD are being regularly mishandled by the Congress-led State Government as a result of which the officials even ignore the instructions of the Mayor, he said. The State Government wants to dominate and rule over the MCD. Government is already in control of various departments like Irrigation department, Public Works Department and many other departments but is now aiming to take over control of the MCD as well, maintained Chamoli.
He said that this mere inspections by ministers and bureaucrats won’t help in improving the civic sanitation and at last MCD will have to take the lead role in it.