Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today directed the Local Government department to tie up with the General Administration department and get clearly defined the "status and protocol" of the Mayors and thereafter issue necessary guidelines accordingly.
A high-level delegation of Punjab State Council of Mayors (PCM), under the aegis All India Council of Mayors, comprising mayors from Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh today called on Badal at his residence this afternoon, an official spokesperson said.
Badal said the mayors, as constitutional head of municipal corporations, deserved to be accorded appropriate respect and honour by Civil and Police administration of districts, besides the state administration and thus asked the local government department to issue detailed instructions to all the Deputy Commissioners/SSPs and heads of the departments at state headquarter to ensure proper respect and representation to them, the spokesperson said.
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Acceding to the request of the mayors, the Chief Minister allowed them to use red beacon atop their official vehicles and asked the Principal Secretary Transport to issue necessary instructions immediately in this regard.
Badal also allowed to send all the official letters of government especially proceedings of various meetings and executive directions by the local government to the mayors for their perusal.
The Secretary Local Government department has been asked to include mayors as members of District Urban Infrastructure Committees (DUICs) to ensure holistic development of the cities in an efficacious and result-oriented manner.
The chief minister also said that necessary instructions be issued to the DCs for inclusion of the mayors as members in the DUICs in the light of 74th amendment of constitution.
On the issue of getting Rs 422 crore transferred to the corporations on account of additional excise duty on liquor, Badal directed the Principal Secretary Finance to release this amount at the earliest, the official said.
Likewise, Badal also asked the Finance Department to immediately release their share of solid waste management to the corporations so that they could undertake cleanliness works in their respective cities under Swachh Bharat Mission, the official added.
Badal also asked the Chairman, Punjab State Power
Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) to get the case of electricity tariff on commercial rates paid by the municipal corporations thoroughly examined as they were providing the facility of street lighting to the residents free of cost.
The mayors demanded in case the PSPCL could not exempt the corporations from payment of electricity bills at least electricity duty should be waived off to them, the spokesperson said.
He also asked the Director General of Police to make permanent police force available to the corporation depending upon their requirements especially during the demolition drives, without payment of any money, the official said.
The Chief Minister also urged the mayors to make concerted efforts for generating additional funds as a part of resource mobilisation to carry out development funds consistently without looking at state government for financial help.
However, he said that wherever there was paucity of funds for accomplishing the development works, the state would not hesitate to bail out the municipal corporations in their pursuit of development and growth oriented activities.
Badal said this entire exercise would not only make the municipal corporations self sustainable and financially viable to enable them to undertake hassle free development of urban sector but also provide the best civic amenities to the residents as per their aspirations.
