Mayor’s Ward face problems like floods in rainy season
Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 13: The Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Rajinder Sharma has claimed that he is working to ensure democracy at grass root level.
In an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior, Sharma said that elections to the Urban Local Body were held in the year 2018 after a gap of 13 years.
“After assuming the office of Mayor my main objective remained to empower Councillors of JMC and this was done when the officers started visiting different Wards to work with the Councillors,” he maintained adding: “This was just a part of reorientation of administrative process that we have started in JMC.”
On chronic problems of Nallahs in different areas of the city which get flooded in rainy season thereby causing damages, the Mayor said that Detailed Project Report for that has been made and the work in this regard may start soon.
On growing addiction in Jammu, he said: “JMC held a debate in its General House Meeting on the issue and I have also talked to J&K Chief Secretary that we have to take strict measures while the issue was also projected before the Lieutenant Governor of J&K.”
The Mayor further said that all are concerned over the menace.
Sharma informed that a team of officers is working under the supervision of Executive Engineers to solve problems of three Wards which have lost their Councillors.
On poor condition of a waiting hall at Jogi Gate, the oldest crematorium of J&K, he said that the issue will be looked into.
The Mayor also said that electrical crematorium will also be worked out soon as with Jammu turning smart city the same will be a requirement and he further said that crematorium for animals will also be planned.
Sharma said that autos collecting garbage from door-to-door are doing a good work and from the day this service was started in the city, garbage dumps and dustbins have reduced.
On ‘Kaam Chhoro strike of Safai Saathis on regularisation demand, he said that regularisation of 600 contractual Safai Saathis of JMC has been ordered and objections for that are invited which takes time.
The JMC Mayor said that he wants that JMC services should start from Ward offices.
“We will soon intensify our campaign regarding ban on poly-bags and JMC will distribute carry bags among public which will be made of biodegradable materials,” he continued.
Sharma also said that work on Bawe Wali Mata project to beautify the entire route and accomplish other required developmental works there will also be done soon while a binocular shall soon be installed at Maha Maya Mata Mandir for having a view of entire Jammu city.
It is pertinent to mention here that after becoming JMC Mayor Rajinder Sharma lifted paid vehicle parking at Super Speciality Hospital in Jammu after which people started parking their vehicles there without any hesitation.
Regarding condition of Ward number 16, from where he was elected as a Councillor, Sharma said that from Coffee House at Ambphalla to Tali Morh (the entire area of his Ward) there were five big dumper type dustbins which have been removed after he became JMC Councillor.
“Holding mike I moved in streets of my Ward appealing people to use services of garbage collector autos and don’t throw garbage here and there and it worked well,” he stated adding that initially five garbage collector autos were pressed into services in his Ward.
However, a visit to the Ward of JMC Mayor brought to fore that there were hanging wires and damaged poles while a manhole of sewerage on New Plot road mostly remains blocked with litter coming out of it and spreading over the road which creates problems for passersby.
Manoj Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar area of the Ward informed that during rains Khad of nearby army area overflows and the water enters residential houses in areas of Lane number 1 to Lane number 22 and causes damage.
He also said that due to the flood in August last year a wall in the area fell but its debris is still there in Lane numbers from 1 to 6 and none came to lift it.
Locals of the Ward also revealed that there are many stray dogs in the Ward which create problems by littering here and there, by chasing two wheelers and biting people.
They also informed that many drug addicts and peddlers are also active in the Ward for which the police should take a cognisance.
Others revealed that considerable work of lanes-drains, street lights and blacktopping has been done in the Ward.
It is pertinent to mention here that though more than four years of the mandatory tenure of five for the elected body of JMC have passed, many developmental works have not been completed yet while many of such works have even not seen the light of the day.
When contacted Prof. Yudhvir Singh, an Independent Councillor from the newly formed Ward number 73 said that the Mayor has very good objectives for the city but as most of these are very big projects and the remaining tenure of JMC is only of some months so he should divide the planned works into parts and take them one by one.
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