MCG’s territorial jurisdiction expanded

The Haryana government in a notification on Monday night extended the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), bringing a large number

The Haryana government in a notification on Monday night extended the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), bringing a large number of new sector areas located along Golf Course Extension Road (GCER) and Dwarka Expressway under the civic body.

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This had been a longstanding demand of the residents, as civic amenities, such as lack of streetlights, drainage system, and road connectivity, have been a major issue in these areas.

With the takeover by the MCG, the panchayat system will be abolished and all 16 villages falling within these areas will immediately come under the MCG’s ambit. The 16 villages to be included are Bajgehra, Babupur, Mohammadheri, Dharampur, Daultabad, Kherki Majra, Dhankot, Palra, Ullawas, Nangli Umarpur, Behrampur, Dhumaspur, Bhondsi, Nayagaon, Kadarpur, and Maidawas.

According to MCG officials, the stamp duty collected from the 16 villages for the 2019-2020 year was Rs 41.32 crore, while the 16 villages also have a fixed deposit of Rs 181 crore.

The report prepared by the MCG’s electrical division revealed that the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) gets around Rs 29.50 crore per year in billing amount, of which the MCG is entitled to 2% of the, as per the Haryana government. This amounts to Rs 59 lakh per year.

From the 16 villages, MCG is also expected to earn around Rs 1.8 crore in property tax, around Rs 2 crore in trade licences and Rs 1.5 crore through advertisements.

As per MCG officials, the entire process of taking over the 16 villages is expected to be completed by next April. In the interim, the civic body will be floating multiple tenders for more manpower and machinery to execute developmental works in the area.

Besides the villages, multiple agencies, such as Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Public Works Department (PWD), and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), look after the development of the remaining residential and industrial areas located along the GCER and Dwarka Expressway.

Although the GMDA will continue to look after master roads and master drains in the area, the MCG will gradually take over amenities from the remaining bodies, sector wise, said officials privy to the matter.

Similar to the MCG taking over around 50 sectors of HSVP following its formation in 2008, the process of taking over residential and industrial areas located along the GCER and Dwarka Expressway can take from one to five years, said officials.

“The territorial expansion will be beneficial to lakhs of residents living in the newer sectors of the city. We are aiming to start delivering civic amenities in the 16 villages by early 2021 and subsequently, take over the charge of civic amenities of remaining areas falling within MCG limit, gradually. Our main objective is to provide civic coverage to all parts of the city so that development is done in a comprehensive manner rather than a lopsided one,” said Vinay Pratap Singh, commissioner, MCG.

With new sector areas, in sectors 77 to 93, also coming under the ambit of the newly formed Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM), new sector areas (sectors 58-115) located within Gurugram district have all been assigned to civic bodies finally.

“We are looking forward to the MCG taking over our sector as there are many prevailing civic issues that need immediate attention. Among them, the lack of streetlights in the area is the main point of concern for residents, from both a security point of view as well as illumination. We are hoping the MCG’s resources will be able to solve the nearly decade-long problem in quick time, whenever our sector is taken over by them,” said Alka Sinha, a resident of Sector 58.