Patna: The empowered standing committee of Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Saturday gave nod to 29 agendas, ranging from manhole repair mechanisms and water supply projects to the financial sustainability of the Kadamkuan vending zone.The PMC currently pays the electricity bill, sanitation and general maintenance charges of Kadamkuan vending zone. Mayor, Sita Sahu, who presided over the meeting, said in order to recover these costs, the committee decided to charge rent from the shopkeepers, which will be aligned with the charges with current commercial rates in the locality.The committee directed empanelment of contractors to operate “manhole ambulances”. Currently, there is only one manhole ambulance available; based on its success, more will be launched. These units are designed to perform on-the-spot repairs of damaged manholes. Each vehicle will carry construction materials, precast covers, accompanied by masons, electricians and drivers. The goal is the repair of 30 to 35 manholes per day. To test the efficiency of this system, the municipal administration ordered a mock drill to be conducted within 48 hours.The meeting also served to formalize expenditures through post-facto approvals for religious festivals. The committee approved over Rs5 crore for 65 projects executed during the 2026 Chaiti Chhath. Furthermore, it cleared Rs50 lakh for the renovation of 24 ghats, including Nauzar Ghat and Gay Ghat, used during the 2025 Kartik Chhath. In a separate financial decision, Rs6 lakh was approved for the renovation of Bhadra Ghat under Azimabad division for Ganga Dussehra 2025.Utility projects were reviewed in detail. The committee examined the status of 760 pipeline extension projects. Of these, 348 are complete, 28 are under construction, 111 have work orders issued, 71 are in the allocation phase, 122 are in the tender stage and 80 have received administrative approval. Regarding the 266 high-yield boring projects, 182 are finished, 16 are under construction, nine have work orders, seven are awaiting allocation, tenders have been issued for 27 and 25 have been given administrative clearance. To ensure water quality, the committee allocated Rs93 lakh for the installation of chlorinators at 93 water supply centres.Administrative and long-term infrastructure decisions included the extension of an agreement with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the extension of service contracts for various active agencies. The committee also authorized the publication of tenders for the construction of a modern slaughterhouse. Finally, post-facto approval was granted for the memorandum of understanding with the Isha Foundation for the operation and maintenance of the crematoriums located at Bans Ghat and Digha Ghat.Deputy mayor Rashmi Chandravanshi, PMC commissioner Yashpal Meena, additional municipal commissioner Rajan Sinha and other department heads participated in the meeting.
