Srinagar, Jan 30: It was an eventful day for the Srinagar Municipal Corporation with Chief Secretary, Mahdhav Lal on Monday inaugurating video conferring live from Jammu while the outgoing SMC Commissioner Sheikh Mushtaq commissioned City’s first  upgraded slaughter house in Shaher-e-Khaas.
 He also said that the much awaited traffic signal project was in its final stage adding that the hi-tech lights would be in place by the time Durbar move offices reopen in the summer Capital.

VIDEO CONFERENCING
 Keeping pace with the latest technological advancements, the SMC commissioned its state-of-the art video conferencing system, becoming the first corporation in the Valley to have its own such facility. Till now, the officials said such services were provided by the National Informatics Centre.
 While inaugurating the hi-tech facility Chief Secretary Madhav Lal said that the facility will provide “an easy and convenient means for the department to improve its functioning through location-independent and real-time communication access.”
 While talking to the SMC Commissioner, the Chief Secretary said  the facility could help in developing the “concept of twin City development”.
 Explaining this to media persons, Mushtaq said: “He (Chief Secretary) has been keen for utilization of this facility to develop Srinagar in line with some modernized City, which has typical climatic features resembling ours.”
 “If we compare Srinagar with New Delhi, Punjab or Jaipur climatically such cities won’t match so we have to look for a compatible alternative,” Mushtaq added.
 “Using this facility we can have live interactions with our counterparts and our staffers won’t need to go out physically,” the outgoing commissioner said.

RAINAWARI GETS SLAUGHTER HOUSE
 While inaugurating an “upgraded” slaughter house at Rainawari, the Commissioner during his whirlwind tour of the City said: “It would be the first step towards hi-tech slaughter houses.”
 About the Rainawari facility, he said, the local butchers could use the facility to slaughter the livestock in hygienic environment where a vet would check the livestock for its fitness. And as the de-hided mutton would come out, the SMC would stamp it as fit for consumption.
 Talking to President J&K Butchers Association (JKBA) Khazir Muhammad Regoo, Mushtaq said, the association should amicably sort out the slaughter fee.
 “We haven’t developed this facility as a source of revenue but only need income that could suffice its maintenance charges,” the Commissioner said.
 While hailing the SMC endeavour of constructing the facility, the JKBA President said the government should charge no more than Rs five as fee per slaughter.
 “Rs 5 per slaughter is feasible for us and the facility should be open throughout the day,” the JKBA President said adding that there was a need to construct more such slaughter houses in the summer Capital.

‘NO MORE CLERICAL HURDLES’
In a bid to wipe off alleged red-tapism at the SMC, Mushtaq said, the new upcoming block for the Administration and the Finance department was being designed in such a way that there remains no direct contact between clerks and the Aam Aadmi.
 “The glass cube chambers will start with the offices of the Joint Commissioner at the entrance followed by their colleagues in descending order of the hierarchy… The clerical staff will sit in the backroom so that they have no first hand dealing with the people,” Mushtaq said.

TRAFFIC SIGNALS SOON
 The Commissioner said work on the traffic signal lights will start soon.
 “The tenders have passed the pre-qualification and the technical phases and the recommendations have been sent to the State Level Contract Committee for go ahead to the qualifying bidder,” he said adding this phase would take around a fortnight.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST