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Time of India
8 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
15 years later, Akota slum residents keep promise and vacate plot voluntarily
Vadodara: In a rare gesture of civic cooperation, residents living on a Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) plot in the Akota area voluntarily vacated the land and invited the civic body to demolish their dwellings — honouring a commitment they made 15 years ago. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The residents had originally belonged to Pir Vasahat, a slum settlement in Akota, which the VMC sought to vacate in 2010 to make way for the Akota-Dandia Bazaar Road development project. At the time, the civic body offered them homes in a housing scheme in Pratapnagar, but many were reluctant to relocate due to the distance from their workplaces in Akota and nearby areas. "We had suggested identifying a nearby plot in Akota for housing, but there was no scheme available then," said Imtiaz Patel, former councillor of the area. VMC eventually agreed to allow the residents to temporarily settle on a plot near the burial ground in Akota, with a promise that they would vacate once permanent housing was provided. Some residents later accepted homes in Pratapnagar, while others who could afford it moved into rented accommodation. Around 30 families remained on the temporary site and built makeshift homes, continuing to live there for 15 years. Recently, these families were allotted homes under the Rajiv Awas Yojana on Sun Pharma Road. Once the houses were ready, the residents kept their word and moved out on Saturday without protest or delay. "I used to work near Genda Circle and could not have shifted to Pratapnagar back then," said Abdul Gani Sheikh, a former resident who sells two-wheeler seat covers. "We only sought temporary help. Now that we have permanent homes, we have fulfilled our commitment." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Patel and other local representatives informed VMC officials about the vacated plot. The civic body promptly deployed personnel and machinery to clear the site. The demolition was completed swiftly and peacefully, with no need for police presence. According to Patel, VMC plans to construct a school on the vacant land. "This will benefit the local community and ensure that the space is used for public good," he said.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Vijayawada Municipal Corporation workers intensify indefinite strike demanding wage hike and welfare benefits
Vijayawada: Over 650 workers under the engineering wing of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) intensified their indefinite strike, demanding a hike in wages and restoration of welfare benefits. The strike, which began on June 25, brought essential services like street lighting, water supply, and drainage maintenance to a standstill. The workers, employed under a contract outsourcing system through APCOS (Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services), are demanding the implementation of minimum wages as per GO No. 34. They seek ₹21,000 per month for lower-level workers and ₹24,500 for higher-level workers. Currently, many earn just ₹12,000 and claim their wages were not revised in eight years. The workers are also protesting the suspension of govt welfare schemes for their families. They want their children to be eligible for schemes like Talliki Vandanam. Additionally, they are seeking permanent employment under APCOS, ₹10 lakh insurance coverage for workers who die on duty, a job for one family member of the deceased, and a monthly pension of ₹10,000 for retirees. CITU leader Praveen stated, "We handle crucial services like water, street lights, and drainage, yet our hard work is ignored. The govt has not held any meaningful talks even after a week of striking." A protest camp has been set up at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada. In response, VMC commissioner Dhyan Chandra HM urged the workers to call off their strike and resume duties. He assured them that a group of ministers, appointed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, would soon look into their demands and work on a resolution. A review meeting was held at the VMC headquarters on Tuesday, attended by chief engineer R Srinath Reddy, supervising engineer (projects) P Satyakumari, union leaders, and engineering department workers.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- India Gazette
SEBI hosts municipal bond outreach programme in Thiruvananthapuram to boost urban financing
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) conducted a two-day Municipal Bond Outreach Programme from June 30 to July 1 in Thiruvananthapuram, with a focus equip Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and stakeholders with insights into municipal debt securities, pool financing, and innovative market-based financing mechanisms. The programme included session on the topics such as municipal bond issuances, regulatory compliance, credit rating, and continuous disclosures. Additionally, case studies and interactions with intermediaries provided participants with practical knowledge to access capital markets According to SEBI this initiative is a part of boards continued efforts to promote transparency, market readiness, and sustainable urban infrastructure financing through the municipal bond ecosystem. A central feature of the workshop was the launch of 'The Green Book - On Climate Finance & Green Municipal Bonds' by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). Furthermore, the launch was led by senior members of VMC, including the Mayor, Municipal Commissioner, and Deputy Commissioner. 'The publication documents Asia's first globally certified Green Municipal Bond, issued by VMC, and presents it as a Global Case Study (2025) to guide other ULBs in adopting sustainable financing practices,' SEBI said. Recently, SEBI allowed registered intermediaries to use 'e-KYC Setu System' of National Payments Corporation of India to perform Aadhaar-based e-KYC authentication for ease of doing business, the markets regulator said in a statement. Under the present framework, registered intermediaries use e-KYC services of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in the securities market. This service has been accepted as a valid process for digital Know Your Client (KYC) verification using KYC User Agency (KUA /Sub-KUA) mechanism and /or the Digilocker. (ANI)
The Print
a day ago
- Business
- The Print
Sebi holds outreach programme to boost municipal bond ecosystem
'The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) organised a Municipal Bond Outreach Programme on June 30 – July 1, 2025, at Thiruvananthapuram,' the regulator said in a statement. The initiative was aimed at equipping urban local bodies (ULBs) and other stakeholders with insights into municipal debt securities, pool financing, and innovative market-based financing mechanisms. New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) Markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday said it has conducted a two-day Municipal Bond Outreach Programme in Thiruvananthapuram to deepen market awareness and support urban infrastructure financing through municipal debt instruments. The event covered a range of subjects, including structuring municipal bond issuances, regulatory compliance, credit rating, and continuous disclosures, Sebi said. Interactions with intermediaries and presentations of case studies were also part of the programme to offer hands-on guidance to participants. The regulator said the outreach programme is part of Sebi's continued efforts to promote transparency, market readiness and sustainable urban infrastructure financing through the municipal bond ecosystem. A key highlight of the programme was the official release of 'The Green Book – On Climate Finance & Green Municipal Bonds' by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), it added. The publication, launched by VMC's Mayor, Municipal Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, features Asia's first globally certified Green Municipal Bond issued by VMC. The document has been showcased as a 2025 Global Case Study, aimed at guiding other ULBs in adopting sustainable financing practices. Sebi said the publication is now accessible via a QR code and serves as a roadmap for future green bond issuances by municipal bodies. PTI HG HG BAL BAL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Vadodara mayor's office vandalised: AAP protests arrest of 24 party workers
A day after the Vadodara city police arrested 24 workers of the Aam Aadmi Party's Vadodara unit for vandalising Mayor Pinky Soni's office, the party leaders on Tuesday gathered at the Navapura police station on Tuesday to protest against the BJP-ruled Vadodara Municipal Corporation. The AAP workers, who on Monday barged inside Soni's office, splattered black ink on the Mayor's cabin door and broke her name plate by stomping on it, were arrested later in the evening. On Tuesday, AAP leader Manoj Sarothiya arrived in Vadodara and attacked the BJP-ruled VMC for 'failing to provide amenities' to citizens. Sorathiya said that instead of providing answers to the questions, the mayor has been 'enraged enough' to initiate police action against AAP workers for 'raising questions'. Sorathiya said, 'In the last 30 years of BJP's rule in the city, Vadodara has witnessed floods every year… The AAP workers spilled some black ink and broke a name plate, which enraged the Mayor so much that a police complaint was lodged… I want to tell the Mayor, every year, Vadodara residents lose crores of rupees during floods and also lose lives. Why was no FIR registered at that time?' Sorathiya added, 'The condition of the roads in Vadodara is terrible. The office bearers of Vadodara have indulged in blatant corruption and led the city to this point. In the recent months, a project of Rs 1200 crore was announced for the Vishwamitri project, out of which, Rs 50 crore has been paid by the VMC and a same amount by the Irrigation Department for the flood mitigation work… AAP leaders are not scared of (the BJP's) lathis or the jails… If they cannot answer people's questions, they should resign from the post.' The Navapura police station, which had arrested 24 AAP workers, including 18 women late on Monday night for rioting, vandalism and damaging government property. conducted a panchnama of the spot outside the Mayor's cabin. Police officers recorded statements of the civic body's security personnel during the panchnama. Police Inspector MS Ansari said, 'The 24 persons were arrested and granted bail at the police station as per the provision of law.' Meanwhile, the Vadodara unit of Congress on Tuesday, also held a 'pothole tour' of the Mayor's ward to 'showcase' the pits and potholes as well as the garbage heaps strewn on the roads. Vadodara City Congress President Rutvij Joshi said, 'The Vadodara city Congress has initiated a campaign 'Khadodara darshan', to showcase the apathy of the civic body and the condition of the roads and sanitation in the city during the monsoon'. 'We started with Ward 4, which is the Mayor's Ward… In several places, entire stretch of roads have been dug up by the civic body on the pretext of pre-monsoon work but they have not been filled up and levelled, making it dangerous as there have been multiple instances of people being injured. In one of the cases, an auto driver was killed due to a pothole in another part of the city,' Joshi added. Mayor Pinky Soni remained unavailable for her remarks over the issue.
