Adityapur Municipal Council has been upgraded to a municipal corporation, the status now entitling the industrial township to more funds and better amenities.
The civic body received a letter informing it about the elevation from the state urban development department in Ranchi last evening. It also got a cheque of Rs 3.55 crore, the biggest ever sum received by the municipal council since its formation in 2008.
Sharing the good news, AMC chairman Radha Sandil said that after the upgrade, Adityapur would be the fifth municipal corporation in the state, the others being Ranchi, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh and Bokaro. "From now on, AMC will not only get heftier funds, but will also witness development in civic amenities. The quality of life will also get better with the residents getting a feel of living in bigger cities like adjoining Jamshedpur and state capital Ranchi," Sandil pointed out.
Explaining how the upgrade came about, the AMC chairman said a gazette notification to this effect had been made by Governor Draupadi Murmu on Monday.
"The Jharkhand government had started the procedure to convert Adityapur Muncipal Council into a corporation since September 26 last year. After getting administrative clearance from Seraikela-Kharsawan district authorities, the governor finally gave her seal on formation of Adityapur Municipal Corporation," he added.
Shedding more light on the grants - the most crucial aspect of the upgrade that can ensure better facilities to the township - that the civic body would be getting now, Binod Srivastava, vice-chairman of the council, said "Hitherto, we were entitled to an annual grant of around Rs 15 crore from the state urban development department. After the upgrade, we will get at least thrice the amount."
He added that the area, which has a population of 1,73, 783 as per the 2011 Census, would also get better drinking water and sanitation facilities and sewerage system. "The urban development department has already given Rs 3.55 crore for construction and maintenance of roads while sending the letter for upgrading Adityapur as a corporation. So far, we had not received more than Rs 60 lakh at one go," he said.
However, the civic body, which has 32 wards stretching up to Gamharia, will get no additional ward and will have no fresh election.
The last AMC election for a five-year term was held in March 2013.
Residents gave mixed reactions.
"So much is said about development works, but nothing is actually done. We used to hire private workers to clean our drains when the civic body was a notified area committee, we did so when it became a municipal council and our fate will not change even though it has become a corporation," said Ram Gyani Sahi.
Chandu Satpathy, another resident, was optimistic.
"The civic body will now get more funds and the facilities for public will get better," Satpathy told The Telegraph.
