Fazilka municipal officer to pay Rs 50,000 for failing to provide info in separate cases

Rakhi Jagga, Indian Express,Fazilka, 5 August 2010

Taking strict action on non-compliance of orders, the State Information Commission (SIC) has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Tilak Raj, the executive officer (EO) of the Fazilka Municipal Council.

Raj will also have to shell out a compensation of Rs 9,000 to the complainant in two separate cases. The EO reportedly failed to provide information to one Amarnath, a resident of Ravidas Nagar, Khatika Mohalla regarding how an encroachment in the area was converted into a legal structure. The SIC imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 in the first week of July and a compensation of Rs 5,000 on the officer. Apart from this, the EO did not appear in person before the commission.
Raj, however, seems to have failed to learn a lesson and did not reply to another complaint of Amarnath regarding the regulation of the council constituted for construction of a road in the locality.

It needs to be mentioned that Amarnath had sought information in both the cases more than four months ago and later had approached SIC with the help of RTI activist Deepak Moudgil. State Information Commissioner D S Kahlon on July 24 slapped another fine of Rs 25,000 on Tilak Raj who is now posted in Jalalabad.
Interestingly, on the last hearing on July 24, the new EO appeared before the panel and provided information about a wrong road.
The commission has now given a last chance to the municipal council to give information to the complainant till August 30 or face the music.
Sources said the civic body does not have the relevant data as no resolution was passed for construction of the road and even the record of encroachments is not available.

Kahlon, meanwhile, has sent a copy of the order to the deputy director (local bodies) to deduct Rs 12,500 each from the salary of Tilak Raj for the month of August and September and the receipts should be presented before the commission.
Meanwhile, the earlier Rs 25,000 fine is yet to be deposited by the EO and even Rs 9,000 compensation is pending.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Fazilka-municipal-officer-to-pay-Rs-50-000-for-failing-to-provide-info-in-separate-cases/656176

जनहित: अब से नहीं बिकेगा पॉलिथीन

http://www.bhaskar.com/2010/03/11/100311013616_351730.html

Matrix News

आखिर नगर की सुन्दरता एवं वातावरण की स्वच्छता के लिए नगर के दुकानदारों ने पालीथीन को बंद कर उसके विकल्प को अपनाना शुरू कर दिया है। इसे नगर कौंसिल के प्रयासों की सफलता कहें, चाहे नगरवासियों का सहयोग, लेकिन कम से कम अब पॉलिथीन के लिफाफों से तो फाजिल्का का वातावरण दूषित नहीं होगा। होली के पावन पर्व पर यहां पॉलिथीन लिफाफा यूनियन ने पूर्ण रूप से इसका प्रयोग न करने का निर्णय लिया है। उक्त निर्णय का समाज सेवी संस्था ग्रेजूएट्स वेलफेयर एसोसिएशन ने भी स्वागत किया है।

बता दें कि नगर कौंसिल फाजिल्का ने करीब तीन माह पूर्व एक प्रस्ताव पारित कर नगर में पॉलिथीन के बिकने पर रोक लगा दी थी। इसके साथ ही कौंसिल ने पॉलिथीन के विकल्प डिस्पोजल मेटिरियल से बने लिफाफों को न सिर्फ बाजार में उतारा, बल्कि दुकानदारों को सैंपल के तौर पर निशुल्क वितरित भी किए। हालांकि इस निर्णय का शुरूआत में भारी विरोध हुआ। इसी निर्णय ने नगर में पालीथीन के लिफाफों का होलसेल का कार्य करने वालों को एकत्रित कर दिया था व विरोध स्वरूप यूनियन भी स्थापित कर दी गई। पॉलिथीन लिफाफा यूनियन ने पिछले दिनों यहां लगातार धरना भी दिया, लेकिन कौंसिल अपने रुख पर कायम रही। इस बीच कई बार कौंसिल व यूनियन में बातचीत हुई, विवाद और बढ़ गया। बीते दिनों फिर कौंसिल ने डी कमपोजल मेटिरियल से बने लिफाफे बाजार में उतारे। इसी के साथ ही कौंसिल ने फिर यूनियन के साथ बैठक कर उन्हें पालीथीन से होने वाले नुकसान के बारे में बताया तो यूनियन ने पालीथीन पर रोक को स्वीकार कर लिया। यूनियन के अध्यक्ष कृष्ण कुक्कड़, संदीप कुमार, रिषी भठेजा, अजय कुमार, विजय कुमार, विपन भटेजा व अन्यों ने कहा कि नगर की सुन्दरता एवं स्वच्छता को ध्यान में रखते हुए यह निर्णय लिया गया है। अब से डिस्पोजल मैटिरियल से बने लिफाफों की ही बिक्री की जाएगी।

सबको साथ लेकर चलेंगे: सेठी

अनिल सेठी ने कहा कि कौंसिल नगर की सुन्दरता व स्वच्छा के लिए वचनबद्ध है। इसके साथ ही वह किसी भी यूनियन अथवा दुकानदारों को साथ लेकर चलेगी। हर निर्णय में दुकानदारों की सहमती के बाद ही उसे लागू किया जाएगा। उन्होंने जहां एक तरफ यूनियन का धन्यवाद किया, वहीं आम लोगों से भी पालीथीन की जगह इस नये विकल्प को आजमाने की अपील की। उन्होंने कहा कि जल्द ही कौंसिल नगर की समाजसेवी संस्थाओं के साथ एक बैठक कर डिस्पोजल मेटिरियल से बने लिफाफों को अपनाने के लिये लोगों को जागरूक करने की अपील करेगी। उन्होंने कहा कि डिस्पोजल से बने लिफाफे कुछ समय बार गल जाते हैं और पर्यावरण को नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाते हैं

Fazilka become first to implement ‘Car-free city’ concept in the Country

Fazilka, a small township near India Pakistan border made history yesterday. Fazilka become the first to implement another unique concept of "Car free city" in the region. Yesterday, city centre i.e. market area nearby clock tower has been declared “Car Free Zone”. No motorised four vehicles and heavy vehicles will be allowed to move in this zone for 12 hours during day time. Special emphasis through traffic calming devices and permanent barriers at few locations has been installed to make this zone as pedestrian and cycle friendly.

Credit for the successful implementation of this concept goes to Mr. Anil Sethi, newly elected President of Municipal Council Fazilka. Fazilka city and its residents are already doing many activities to promote Non-motorised vehicle (NMV) for transport within the city. 21st century is governed with the agenda to pacify the affect of Global Warming and I am sure Fazilka town is going to be the flag bearer for the cause of suppressing effect of Global Warming through energy conservation and transportation. 77-80% of the air pollution is contributed by transportation sector alone.

Last year, through one week long “Fazilka Heritage Festival” this experiment as a part of case study was conducted by Graduates Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF) by keeping same city central zone as car free zone. Study revealed that, this experiment had not just improved the quality of social life but also improved the law and order, environment through less air pollution emitted, economy and road safety of the residents. As a part of study and analysis random sampling was done under randomized controlled conditions.

Communities that are NMV-friendly are seen as places with a high quality of life in the society. NMV-friendly communities are places where people feel safe and comfortable riding their cycles and walking for fun, fitness, and transportation. Encouraging NMV is a simple way towards improving public health. With more people joining NMV, communities experience reduced traffic demands, improved air quality and greater physical fitness. In addition, NMV-friendly towns are often seen as most safe place to live. “The aim to create car free zone and also to promote NMV mode of transport within city to build bridges between the prosperous sections of society in the city and the less well-off”, said Anil Sethi. He is already taking strong action against the decision of building Road over bridge within city limits. No European and American city has built flyover within their city from last 15-20 years.

Eco-cab (Dial-a Rickshaw) is another successfully implemented concept, in which cycle Rickshaw has been introduced as Public Transport System using latest Intelligent Transport tools. For the next year, GWAF is all set to send the nomination of Fazilka Mayor for the award of “Worlds Best Mayor”, as people of Fazilka have already done that what famous mayors like Enrique Peñalosa, mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, Elmar Ledergerber, Zurich, Switzerland and much appreciated Lee Myung-bak, Seoul mayor, current President who initiated the project to remove the elevated highway/flyovers and restore the Cheonggyecheon water stream under urban renewal and beautification have done.