State Urban Development Minister CP Singh on Wednesday said that the State Government is working on a plan to give status of industrial town to areas under Tata Steel lease while upgrading Mango, Jugsalai and non-company areas into separate municipal corporations.
Singh was speaking to media at the Circuit House here this evening while going to Adityapur in district of Seraikela-Kharsawan said after the cabinet meeting at Ranchi discussions in this connection were held with the Chief Minister Raghubar Das yesterday.
“let me tell you it is at a planning stage but as per the discussion which I had with the Chief Minister the Government is keen on upgrading the areas of Mango, Jugsalai and non-Tata Steel lease areas into municipal corporations. The Government will also have talks with Tata Steel over according industrial township status so that the case can be settled in the Supreme Court where it is still pending,” said the minister.
It may be noted that Mango has Mango Notified Area Committee as its local urban body while Jugsalai is under Jugsalai municipality while non-company command areas in Jamshedpur are looked after by Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee. Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco looks after civic amenities in company command areas. Corporation status will give them benefit of more funds for improving basic amenities.
Moreover, the decision on granting municipal corporation or industrial township status for Jamshedpur is pending with the Supreme Court since 2006.
Tata Steel had approached erstwhile Bihar Government in 1998 for Jamshedpur’s industrial township status. In 2006, it filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court, challenging Jharkhand Government’s notification and publication in its official gazette in 2005 of its intention to form a municipal corporation for Jamshedpur. The Supreme Court had directed status quo on the issue.
“I think Mango, Jugsalai and non-company command areas can get municipal corporation status as there are no legal issues. We will also hold dialogue with Tata Steel to clear the issue of Jamshedpur city so that in an industrial township and on the composition of an elected body to run the industrial township,” said Singh.
Incidentally, even after Jamshedpur becomes
industrial township it will come under the ambit of Jharkhand Municipal Corporation Act 2011 and will need a governing committee with representation of MPs, MlAs, bureaucrats and corporate functionaries.
Addressing media, the minister also said that within a year (mid-2017) all the municipal bodies will have lED street lights. “As per the MoU with Central Government
enterprise Energy Efficiency Services limited (EESl) will install and maintain lED street lights for seven years after installation,” the minister added.
Singh also informed that the Government will soon start a survey for identification of hawkers and plan for their resettlement in other areas before carrying out eviction. He said that they are concerned over the hawkers and will come out with concrete plan.