Srinagar, Sep 12: In a bid to improve sanitation in the City, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has created a separate Sanitation department, which will look after the work. The Ward Officers have been relieved of this duty as the cleanliness will be looked after by Sanitation Officer (SO)s.
 The City has been divided into eight zones each to be headed by an SO while Manzoor Ahmed Turray has been appointed as the Chief Sanitation Officer “keeping in view his relentless services towards the corporation particularly in fighting the polythene menace.”
 This all was revealed by SMC Commissioner Sheikh Mushtaq during a press briefing at his corporate headquarters.
 Mushtaq who was flanked by Joint Commissioner said to improve the sanitation, two new types of dustbins have been introduced which would be distributed in all the areas of the City.

ON BUILDING PERMISSIONS
 Mushtaq said the corporation was trying to grant building permissions within a month provided the applicant has got NOCs from concerned departments. He said some 1400 building permissions have been granted since he took over a year back.
 He said the corporation was coming up with a hi-tech “e-governance facility which will make applying for building permissions an online affair.”
 “We are coming up with a system whereby we will install computers at concerned departments like PHE, PDD and Revenue and they will send us the NOC’s where ever applicable through internet,” he said.

ON UNCOVERED MANHOLES
 Prompted by Greater Kashmir’s City Page news report on uncovered manholes published Monday, the SMC Commissioner said the deathtraps would be plugged within a fortnight.
 “I chaired a meeting in this regard with the concerned wing and directed them to get the manholes covered within two weeks,” the commissioner said. He also sought public support in this regard to get the uncovered lot identified.

ON TRANSPARENCY IN OFFICE
 Glass façade cabins, a token system for public assistance, clean and hygienic waiting rooms where one can get to know about his turn from the LED Screen. This is not something about corporate office of a multinational but the new office culture, the SMC is evolving.
 In the first phase, the first floor of the old dingy building has been converted into a big corporate style office where visitors can walk in for birth and death certificates, and grant of building permissions.
 “The officials will have a look on all the employees to maintain transparency in the work,” the Commissioner said while making the media persons visit the office.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST