Old buildings in Thane to be repaired; each ward to get ₹50 lakh

Thane Many buildings or structures under Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) need urgent repair work as they are more than 20 years old.

Thane Many buildings or structures under Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) need urgent repair work as they are more than 20 years old.

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Keeping this in mind, a special meeting was held between TMC commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and mayor Naresh Mhaske. They decided to sanction ₹50 lakh for repair work of government structures such as schools, gardens, health centres and public toilets. The funds will be allotted area-wise to the corporators and ward officers.

They said this is first-of-a-kind initiative.

Such an initiative was taken for the first time as there is a need for attention to old buildings. “We have decided to form committees with the help of the local corporators. The committee will focus on schools, gardens and public toilets. Based on the area and the buildings in each wards, the amount will be finalised. Each ward will get around ₹50 lakh for repair work of public toilets,” said Jaiswal.

The garden committee will comprise senior or former corporators and local corporators. The gardens are divided into various categories and based on the area it will receive ₹1 lakh to ₹25 lakh each. Every ward will receive ₹50 lakh for the repair work of all the civic schools in their ward. This committee will comprise local corporator, ward officer, officials from the water and electricity department.

“The committee that handles health centres will ensure that the condition of auditoriums, market and cemetery is maintained. Every building taken up for repair under this committee will receive ₹25 lakh,” said Mhaske.

The civic chief and the mayor will regularly review the committees and the work. Activist Sanjeev Dutta said, “Many buildings built by the civic body are dilapidated as some of them are 30 years old. It is high time that we repaired them.”