ROADS
1. Roads be laid as per norms by maintaining gradient and natural slopes. This will make roads last longer.
2. Replace tar roads with concrete roads.
3. Roads be carpeted on a regular basis only after removal of the damaged road. Roads which are to be widened also be maintained by carpeting and not wait for the widening to take place.
4. Foot paths with drains underneath be brought back into use on main roads and arterial roads. Remove the encroachments on a regular basis by making employees in cadre of Inspectors responsible for removal.
5. Telecommunications cables be routed in portable ducts running alongside the roads, instead of laying under earth. Ducts help in avoiding re-digging frequently by several agencies. One single duct on either side of the road running 6 feet deep and 5 feet wide is sufficient for water pipes, cables etc. The National Telecom Agency may be approached for the rules specifying the depth to which telecommunications cables must be laid.
6. Provide duct drains running along the roads for immediate discharge of storm water instead of allowing clogging and natural evaporation.
7. Do not allow laying of water pipes and associated valves to come under the roads. Remove all the electric and telephone poles which are
obstructions on the roads.
8. Use only portable road dividers for all roads in the area under GHMC.
9. Commercial properties should construct the entrance ramps inside their property line. The ramps should not intrude and extend beyond the property line onto the public road.
10. Streetlights be provided on the middle of the road instead of running parallel to the road.
11. Hand over the maintenance of high traffic roads to private parties under 'Performance-based Management and Maintenance' system as followed in Kerala. The selected contractor has to maintain the road section under his responsibility at specified service quality level throughout the three-year contract period. The contractor will have to undertake initial rehabilitation, improvement and routine maintenance work. Initial rehabilitation work comprises the resurfacing of length of road to be carried out during the first 90 days of the contract.
12. Allow laying of speed breakers on roads connecting residential colonies especially main roads except the highways. The speed breakers be designed and laid on sound technical designs.
13. Relocation of religious structures coming up on roads or adjacent to roads and those which are not depicted in the Master Plan.
14. Senior officials of the cadre of Asst Engineer be made responsible for checking of illegal road cutting by residents or commercial operators for water lines or cables. Road cutting charges paid by individuals or commercial agencies be set aside separately for repairing the damaged part of the road and its refurbishing.
15. Coordinate with traffic police for installation of traffic signals at all intersections in all areas recently merged into GHMC.
16. Provide road sign boards on all the main roads showing directions to nearest land mark with speed limits. Such road sign boards be leased out to private organisation for installation and maintenance. 25% of the area of the sign board could be used for advertisement of the sponsor and the remaining 75% for the road sign.
PARKS
1. The maintenance of parks be given to private commercial organizations on a 3 year lease with full advertisement opportunities.
2. Provision of reading room or day care centre for senior citizens within parks.
3. Greenery to be provided by plantation.
4. Footpaths for joggers and walkers in grounds of over 2000 sq yd size
5. Children's Play Area in grounds of around 750-1000 sq yd size
6. Horticultural Interest in bigger parks for women
7. Play grounds to be developed with Changing Facilities and Toilets
8. Reduce the diameter of the parks having statues to expand the road width at intersections.
SANITATION
1. Further GAASA is of the strong opinion that a long term plan needs to be put in place, therefore suggests the following;
2. The diameter of the pipes in drainage system connecting 6 colonies needs to be increased to accommodate the sewerage outflow.
3. The lids of all the manholes need to be put back so that the drain water does not overflow.
4. The silt and dirt which has got accumulated within the existing drainage lines need to be removed on a regular basis and RWA’s need to be included in the process.
5. New residences and apartments coming up in the colonies and other areas under GHMC have to compulsory submit their drainage plan and pay charges for their respective drainage lines instead of overloading the existing drain lines which are satisfactory for independent houses.
6. New drainage lines and manholes being laid should be atleast be 3 to 4 feet below the road level to avoid getting broken. The new lines being laid are less than 12 inches below the road.
7. The new drain lines being laid should be completed on a war footing and the connections immediately restored so that the drain water is removed without overflowing onto main roads.
8. Provision of portable toilets or regular toilets at regular intervals on all main roads and to the increasing population of slum dwellers
9. All open drains be closed or pipe lines be laid with strong man holes. The concept of nalas should be stopped.
10. Drinking water samples be tested on regular basis by adopting biotech methods.
11. Stop dumping sewerage containing human waste into lakes within GHMC and divert the sewerage to drains.
12. Residents allowing water to flow out of their houses need to be fined heavily. On second time offense, water and sewerage connection should be cut off for a minimum period of 3 months.
13. Disposal of solid waste be diverted from landfills, to incineration, recycling, composting and conversion to biofuels.
14. Promote entrepreneurs for investing in recycling of waste water by providing partial tax exemptions on GHMC collections.
15. Involve RWA’s in management of waste produce and sanitation. Earlier experiment of GHMC is now in suspense and no action taken on approach of GAASA.
16. Increase the waste bins on all roads and shopping complexes.
17. Pass orders on all departmental stores and malls to restrict the use of plastic bags and to allow customers to carry their own bags either cloth or jute.
18. GHMC needs to organize a conference or a meeting to bring together government delegations, policy makers, technical specialists, development partners and RWA activists from all four corners of the Twin Cities to focus attention on crucial gaps affecting lakhs of people living in the region in accessing sanitation. The conference or meeting will review the progress of sanitation and hygiene in the twin cities.
STREET LIGHTS
1. Replace all fluorescent tube lights.
2. Street light management be given to RWA’s w.r.t switch on and switch off timings and fix a rate to be paid to RWA’s for maintenance.
3. All bye lanes be illuminated and the representations of RWA’s in this respect be given priority by GHMC.
4. Organize a detailed survey of existing public lighting system through a consultant to identify the areas of upgradation and standardization.
PROPERTY TAX
1. Complete all tax assessments of new constructions by fixing a date from the date of completion.
2. Create a database covering details on all the assesses, levy of tax, demand and collection for all Circles under GHMC.
3. Nominate RWA’s to co-ordinate between Town Planning and Revenue wings of the respective circles of GHMC’s.
4. Re-assessment to be made when residential property is partly converted as shopping / commercial property? Will bring in more revenue to GHMC.
5. Education Tax component of property tax be kept in a separate account and spent for maintenance and capital works relating to GHMC / Corporation school buildings.
6. Tax proceeds on hoardings levied and collected by District Collectors be given to local GHMC’s
7. Retain the library cess with the GHMC and initiate the opening of e-libraries or reading rooms with cooperation of RWA’s.
8. Complete the web linking of tax collected and tax pending data in all GHMC’s on a war footing.
9. Entrust E-sevas to collect property tax instead of manual collection by tax collectors.
10. Introduce depreciation values on tax collections for residential buildings above 25 years old.
11. Introduce reassessment of property tax by fresh measurements instead of hiking the present tax band. Penalise owners if they have shown false building plans from the year of plan sanction. The reassessment would bring in more revenue than revision of tax band.
12. Special property tax be formulated and levied on private properties which are being used for hosting advertisement hoardings and transmission towers. Assess the strength of the property for hosting such hoardings and towers. Such tax collected by GHMC’s be kept in an separate account and be used for garbage disposal, sewers, road and sidewalk maintenance, parks, libraries, and miscellaneous expenditures.
13. Provide a online website that has every information pertaining to property tax in the city. It should have the option for Property Tax Calculator, property tax status and property tax online payment.
14. All the Executive Authorities of GHMC’s be instructed to levy property tax for residential quarters of educational institutions [excluding hostels] and commercial buildings within the campus like Kalyana Mandapam, Automatic Teller Machine, shops, canteen etc.