Gurugram civic body set to take over upkeep of 16 villages

GURUGRAM: With the Haryana government approving the expansion of the civic body by adding 16 more villages to it, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon is set to take over services in these areas. Officials said the process is likely to take around 90 days after a government notification is issued.

However, MCG commissioner has said that the services that were being handled by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), like road work and maintenance of storm water drains, will continue to be managed by the authority.

“The GMDA will continue to do the work it was doing in the new areas (that have been added). All major roads, storm water drains and water supply lines will stay with the GMDA. But all internal roads and internal water supply lines, basically, distribution-level services will be handled by the MCG,” commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh told TOI.

GMDA chief VS Kundu said internal sector services, including sanitation and maintenance of street lights will be under MCG. “Master services will remain with the GMDA,” said Kundu.

The MCG had prepared a proposal for the takeover of 39 villages. But these villages opposed that and the village heads also met the deputy chief minister, Dushyant Chautatala, and expressed their displeasure over the proposal. After a few meetings, it was decided that only 16 villages would be brought under the MCG and the remaining ones, along with a few others, might be considered for the new corporation of Manesar.

After deliberations in Gurgaon, the final proposal to include the 16 villages under the MCG was sent to the state government for its approval. The proposal got the nod on Wednesday.

“Sarpanch (village heads) will not be there any more as the 16 villages would become part of the corporation. The target will be to take over the services in the next 90 days. To ensure a smooth transition, the first logical step would be takeover of services from the current establishment,” Singh said.

Officials said that the take over by MCG essentially means that all municipal processes, like enforcement of buildings plans, revenue collection mechanisms such as property tax, will now be applicable on these villages.

Officials said MCG will now have to recruit additional staff for maintenance of water lines and other work. The tendering process for recruitment of staff and other private agencies would take some time. However, the takeover should be complete in 90 days after it is notified by the state government.

The villages that will be brought under the MCG are Bajghera, Babupur, Mohammadheri, Dharampur, Daultabad, Kherki Majra, Dhankot, Palra, Ullawas, Nangli Umarpur, Behrampur, Dhumaspur, Bhondsi, Nayagaon (in the revenue estate of Bhondsi village), Kadarpur and Maidawas.