DRIVE FOR BEAUTIFICATION & CLEAN ENERGY 

The state seems to have woken up from its slumber to make Patna a better place to live in.

A high-level committee, christened Patna capital region management committee, took a number of decisions in its meeting held on Friday to improve basic civic amenities and improve the aesthetic beauty of the state capital.

Officials present in the meeting claimed that some of the major decisions included expediting the work on constructing roads over all drains, handing over traffic signals to the home department and promoting battery-operated vehicles for public transport.

Steps are also being taken to curb air pollution. Senior officials in the environment and forest department claimed that instructions had been issued to the transport department to stop the registration of diesel vehicles with engines of 2000cc and more in the state capital. Moreover, no fresh permit will be issued for vehicles, especially city buses, which are more than 15 years old.

A senior state government official present in the meeting said: "The Patna capital regional committee has been formed to look after a number of civic issues, including roads, water, drainage, traffic management, air and noise pollution, Metro rail and execution of master plan among others."

"Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCo) has been asked to expedite the work on construction of roads over drains to decongest traffic," said the official.

The meeting also decided to give magisterial powers to PMC officials to act on road encroachment.

"Now, only district administration officials such as sub-divisional officers have the magisterial power to conduct anti-encroachment drives. But with the delegation of this authority to PMC officials, the civic body can act quickly to remove encroachments," said the official.

In another decision, the transport department has been asked to promote battery-operated vehicles for public transport to curb air pollution.

"The majority of the city service buses and six-seat autorickshaws runs on diesel, which leads to high level of air pollution. Thus, it has been decided to promote battery-operated vehicles in Patna," said the official.

Deliberations were also held on making mural paintings and graffiti on the walls of flyovers and government buildings on main roads.

"By ensuring graffiti on flyovers and boundary walls of government buildings, we would not only improve the aesthetic beauty of the city but also dissuade the defacement of public property. The art, culture and youth affairs department would be asked to arrange for the paintings to be installed," said the government officials.

Vehicle-free day

In the Assembly, environment and forest minister Tej Pratap said on Thursday that registration of vehicles with engines of 2000cc and more and movement of vehicles more than 15 years old would soon be prohibited on the thoroughfares in Patna.

During a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh on December 21, the transport department was instructed to put forward a proposal before the state government to seek approval on prohibiting the registration and movement of high-end sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and motorbikes.

Moreover, a decision was also taken to bring a proposal at the earliest to prohibit the movement of all diesel-operated vehicles more than 15 years old in the town area in Patna.

A decision taken in this regard by the state transport authority is awaiting execution from August 2013.

"Formal proposals for prohibition on the movement of all vehicles aged 15 years and more and the registration of vehicles with engines of 2000cc and more has been sent to the transport department," said a senior official in the environment and forest department.

The environment and forest department has also proposed to make one day every week a car/bike- free day in government offices in Patna to curb air pollution.

The principal environment and forest secretary, Vivek Kumar Singh, has in an official proposal, recommended that officials and employees in all departments at the state secretariat and the other government establishments can be asked to either cycle or walk while they are on duty and use vehicles only in case of emergency.