Rehabilitation of street vendors, improvement of civic amenities, construction of modern town halls top priorities: Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir

Srinagar Sep 01 (KNS): Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, Mathoora Masoom on Wednesday said that rehabilitation of street vendors, improvement of civic amenities and construction of modern town halls are top priorities and will be done within shortest possible time.

While acknowledging the 'shortage of executive officers in Kashmir based local bodies, Mathoora said that due to retirement of many concerned officers, several other executive officers have been given additional charge adding that there is no shortage of funds for Urban Local Bodies Kashmir but the organization has funds of around Rs. 6 crore available under various schemes. 

 "we have to give charge of executive councils to more than one municipal council or committee as many executives have retired in recent years, she said adding that  that the authorities have been informed that civic body executive officers are required so that the functioning of municipal bodies is not affected in any way. 

"Giving charge to more than one municipal body is affecting the work and they are not doing justice to their responsibilities",she added.

She further said that if the work is not going well in some places, he will review it and improve it adding that  despite the shortage of executive officers, forty municipal bodies in the Kashmir Valley, including 10 Municipal Councils and 30 Municipal Committees, are functioning properly.

Assuring the improvement of basic civic amenity system in the urban areas of the valley, Masoom said that cleanliness is the basic guarantee of maintaining ecological balance anywhere and they are focusing on it. 

"A comprehensive strategy has been formulated to address the deficiencies and shortcomings found in the sanitation infrastructure in the border areas",she added.

Regarding the allocation of permanent places for bazaars, roadside and street vendors, Mathoora said that in Srinagar city, "we have identified six such places for street vendors, while in some other parts of the valley, Vendors have been given places to run their businesses, and now we are going to allocate special places for street vendors in areas where they do not yet have this facility".

She also said that the plan of allocating places in all areas for chapari sellers is under consideration.

Referring to the improvement in the system of basic and essential civic amenities in urban areas, the Director said that "we have funds of about Rs. 6 crore available under various schemes to improve civic amenities and carry out construction and development works".(KNS)

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