SMC fails to garner a clean image 

Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), has topped the list of being the most inefficient and poorly performing body. Interestingly, its counterpart in Jammu is seemingly doing well.

Data obtained from CM’s Grievance Cell reveals that it has received at around 1182 complaints against SMC, out of which 80 percent of complaints have been resolved, and 694 complaints were received against Jammu Municipal Corporation, out of which 99 percent of complaints have been resolved.

The complaints that have piled up against the Corporation are mostly about the failure of officials at SMC to address the complaints from people regarding various civic issues, while many complainants have also submitted their grievances regarding rampant corruption within the Corporation.

SMC was recently in news regarding the implementation of Swach Bharat Mission in Srinagar with reports saying that the department has not been doing much in the direction, with the result funds allocated under the mission were on the verge of getting lapsed.

Analysis of the data given out by the cell is making it clear that the same department is performing well in Jammu. The departments like Municipal Corporation is doing well in Jammu and is performing poorly in Kashmir, same is the case with the Health Department, School Education, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Social Welfare Department.

According to Swachh Survekshan 2017 rankings, released by the Union Urban Development Ministry in first week of May this year, Srinagar was standing at 141 rank, much below than Leh which was spotted in top hundred cleanest cities in India.

According to the official data the organization’s media wing has spend around 15 lakh rupees for the information and advertising on SBM this year alone.

Swach Bharat Mission’s central website states that only 40 percent of funds have been utilized by the concerned agencies in the Srinagar city for the Information, Education and Behaviour Change Communication (IEBC) activity.

Reports said that while SMC was supposed to spend the amount on Public awareness, little has been done for its implementation on the ground. Only numbered hoardings have been installed by SMC to spread awareness about SBM.

CAG in its 2016 Audit Report had said that there has been shortfall in the utilization of funds and failure in submission of Utilization Certificates.

“There was shortfall in utilization of funds ranging between 22 per cent and 68 percent of available funds during the year 2010-11 to 2014-15,” the report said adding “non-release of central funds of 77.45 crore was due to non-submission of mid-term Utilization Certificates (UCs) and audited statements of account to the Government of India.”

 

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