Nearly after the last board meeting of Udaipur Municipal Corporation on 28^th April 2011, today on 1^st June Board Meeting was held in Corporation’s Hall at 3:00 PM.

The meeting was conducted by Chairman Rajni Dangi, Vice President Mahendra Singh Shekhawat and Commissioner Balmukund Asawa. MLA Sajjan Katara as special guest.

All councilors representing their wards and media persons were present in the meeting.

The main agendas of today’s board meet were

1. Verification of the previous meeting.
2. MOU between Municipal Corporation, Urban Development Trust and Hindustan Zinc for making a Sewage Treatment Plant at Manwakhera, Udaipur.
3. Permission and Endorsement for new construction in the city.
4. Endorsement of the boat riding contract in Pichola and Fatah Sagar Lakes
5. Discussion on hiring sweepers
6. Lake cleanliness including cleaning water hyacinth (Jal Kumbhi) from Lakes.
7. Report and discussion on present board and all the board meetings held.
8. Strict action against illegal encroachments.

The board meeting was started in a traditional welcoming by Chairman and Vande-Mataram.

Chairman Rajni Dangi welcomed the attendees with recounting her work time of one and half year which she says ‘very successful’ in terms of development of both city and corporation. She expressed proudly that Udaipur Municipal Corporation is one of the best among other palikas and parishads of Rajasthan state.

She said, “Udaipur Municipal Corporation is well settled both technically and financially. We have Rs. 25 crore in the FY, where we have work orders of Rs. 22 Crores, other negotiations of Rs.2.5 crores are on process.”

“We have budgeted Rs. 5 lakhs for every ward councilor for development in their ward areas and now allotting Rs. 5000 more to each.”

Sewage Treatment Plant at Manwakhera

The main focus of Board Meeting was on Sewage Treatment Plant to be constructed in Manwakhera by the joint contribution of Municipality, UIT and HZL. The project is worth crores of rupees. Though HZL will play the major role while both Parishad and UIT also have their respective roles of allotting land and providing sewage water which is to be re-used after cleaning in the plant.

As soon as the agenda was read by Chairman, one of the ward councilor Rajesh started objecting on the proposal saying that the planned land is disputed and court has ordered a stay on it.

The biggest objection of majority of councilors was the 26 page sewage planning proposal which was written in English as they felt uncomfortable to read and understand it and requested the chairman to prepare such documents in Hindi.

Councilors appealed all leaders that the land should not be taken from farmers and if they take it should be equally benefited to the land owners.

Sajjan Katara has suggested taking some place other than Manwakhera as it is very close to the city, she asked commissioner to think upon it and look for a barren land little far from city.

The commissioner Balmukund Asawa told that it’s not parishad’s role to acquire land that’s UIT who decide where to set the plant, they are only answerable to supply them waste water.

The Meeting passed on with little debate on agendas of new building construction, conflict with contractors and daily wages of laborers and vacant post for sweepers.

Jal Kumbhi – Lake Menace

Another main issue in the agenda was jal-kumbhi in lakes which is creating problem every year.

Chairman Rajni Dangi said, “one time firm action is needed to finish this problem of water hyacinth which ruins the beauty of lakes and also harm the water bodies.”

Municipal Council has taken this job officially. In the last meeting the work of lake cleanliness was given in contract of Rs. 1232000/- for a year to clean the lakes.

Ward Councilor Paras Singhvi said, “Till now 90% of jal-kumbhi has been cleaned out from Swaroop Sagar Lake, we will continue our mission till we don’t get rid of this havoc.”

The meeting was continued till evening, development, blame and debate continued as well. Every decision and order made in parishad meeting should be taken into action soon to make Udaipur a world class city.