Shimla, June 5: The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Sanjay Chauhan and Tikender Singh Panwar, of the CPM, resorted to a novel way to list out their achievements by giving themselves four out of 10 marks for their performance as their five-year term ended.
In spite of only 12 per cent representation in the House and hindrances created by the BJP and the Congress in their working, they tried to perform to the best of their ability and worked with sincerity, honesty and integrity, the two said on Sunday. They bailed out the corporation and generated resources to make payment for salary to employees in spite of the fact that wage bills mounted from Rs 35 crore to Rs 60 crore.
The government worked against the SMC in getting the Smart City status and the SMC had to file two writ petitions for Smart City and plying of battery-operated vehicles. The challenges were huge but the corporation bettered the financial health of the SMC, made effective intervention on the water front, fought jaundice epidemic and was instrumental in the formation of the Greater Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Circle (GSWSSC). This brought a qualitative change in water and sewerage management.
Further, to ensure a 24×7 water supply, more than 80 per cent of the work had been done in respect of the Kol Dam lift water scheme and negotiations with the World Bank were in the final stages.
The garbage that used to be lifted from the city had increased from 35 tonnes per day to 70 tonnes per day and 90 per cent of the households were covered under this. Moreover, the entire streetlights had been changed from the conventional system to LEDs. Over 9,000 lights had been installed, besides creating open spaces. Parks had been created in 35 places, they added.
Source: Tribune India
