‘Gujarat govt obstructing our development work’

The Congress-ruled Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) have charged the state government with political vendetta. Both civic bodies allege that the BJP-ruled state government is obstructing development work in their cities by not releasing enough grants as well as not transferring public works to them. The GMC mayor also plans to take the state government to the high court on the issue.

Both JMC and GMC have not been covered under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), like Jamnagar Municipal Corporation and Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation. So they have to depend on various grants released by the state government's urban development department, like grant in lieu of octroi, Swarnim Jayanti Mukhya Mantri Saheri Vikas Yojana (SJMMSVY), grant released by finance commission and grant for primary education.

Of the eight municipal corporations in the state, only JMC and GMC are ruled by the Congress, the rest are under the Bharatiya Janata Party. "The state government does not want to carry out any public work in Junagadh to defame Congress," said Lakhabhai Parmar, mayor of Junagadh.

Parmar said the figures of grant released are proof of injustice to JMC. The UDD released Rs100 crore grant to Bhavnagar and Jamnagar under SJMMSVY, while Junagadh was allotted only Rs25 crore. "We had to reach out to the high court to get an additional grant. After the HC gave its order, UDD released Rs10 crore," said Parmar. Moreover, after monsoon caused havoc in the region, the state government gave Rs10 crore each to Bhavnagar and Jamnagar for repairing damaged roads, while Junagadh got only Rs5 crore, he said.

The height of injustice lies in the fact that the Gujarat Urban Development Company (GUDC) had undertaken drainage survey work at a cost of Rs17 crore. The project has been halted all of a sudden after 50% completion of work following instructions from the state government, added Junagadh Mayor.

Similar is the case with the GMC. Seven months after wresting power in the newly formed civic body, Congress has only the sanitation and malaria departments under its control. Other departments are still looked after by the UDD.

"The UDD will not transfer power to us till we do not have revenue resources. However, the proposal for property tax has been pending with the state government for more than three months. Unless it is cleared, how can we generate revenue?" asked Mahendrasinh Rana, mayor of Gandhinagar.

Because of not having power and work, GMC is mulling the option of moving the high court for justice. "If the state government does not take any favourable decision for transferring powers, we will take legal recourse," said Rana.

When contacted by DNA, Nitin Patel, minister of urban development and urban housing, said the Congress should ask the central government for a package for Gujarat similar to other states. "Moreover, the grant released by the department is as per the rules taking into consideration population and other services provided by the municipal corporation," said Patel.