Ranchi: In a significant move to bolster urban safety, the newly elected municipal body has announced the installation of CCTV cameras across all wards in the city. The decision was finalized during the inaugural board meeting, an intensive eleven-hour session that concluded on Thursday midnight.Talking to TOI on Friday, mayor Roshni Khalkho said, “All the ward councilors have been asked to prepare a list of sensitive areas in their wards where chances for crime is higher. Once they submit the list, CCTV cameras will be installed at these points.” The mayor further added that every ward councilor will be asked to ensure installation of 50 street lights each to ensure that all wards remain well lit. The meeting also addressed pressing concerns regarding water shortages and the maintenance of the drainage system.“It was decided that the number of water tankers will be increased, and every councilor has been asked to do five deep borings in their ward to ensure that there is no water shortage in summers,” Khalkho said. Furthermore, she informed that in preparation for the upcoming monsoon, the board has resolved to identify locations prone to waterlogging and deploy excavators to clear major drains. “Manual labor would be used in the drains where excavators cannot reach and extra manpower will be hired for the same,” Khalkho said.Several councilors also raised grievances regarding the lack of cleanliness and inefficient garbage collection within the city. Consequently, it was decided that a meeting would be held with the agency responsible for these services and the board warned that their contract would be terminated if performance does not improve.The board also approved a hike in the fees collected by the RMC for the removal of discarded building materials. “To date the collection fees was Rs 300 but the cost of collection and disposal from RMC end was much higher. There was a proposal to increase the fees to Rs 850 but the board decided to increase it to Rs 600,” Khalkho said. She added that individuals who fail to have construction debris and ruble removed will face fines from the RMC.The board approved a regulatory change regarding the registration of lodges and hostels. Previously, many owners were unable to register with the RMC due to a lack of approved building plans. On Thursday, the board decided that licenses will now be issued based on holding tax, water usage, and garbage disposal taxes. “This will help the small business owners run their businesses legally and we can also monitor safety of people living in these establishments,” Khalkho said.
