'Greater Srinagar'? Only On Papers

There are no full time Chief Executive Officers-CEOs for both the metropolitan authorities and the charge is held by the Commissioner Secretary housing and Urban Development Department -HUDD J&K Govt. The Srinagar office of SMRDA operates from the office of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir who is designated as Additional CEO. An Executive Engineer posted in Srinagar Municipal Corporation -SMC has been given additional charge of SMRA. There is one Chief Accounts Officer and few clerical staff.
As per the preamble of
Jammu and Kashmir Metropolitan Region Development Authorities Act, 2018 this law has been enacted to
provide for the establishment of Metropolitan Region Development Authorities, for the Metropolitan Regions of Jammu and Kashmir for the purposes of coordinating and supervising the proper, orderly and rapid development of the areas in such Regions and executing plans, projects and schemes for such development, and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. These authorities are supposed to work for infrastructural development outside the municipal limits as per the master plan.
The Infrastructure Development Work as per this act
means development of infrastructure such as roads, water supply systems and water treatment, sewerage systems, sewerage treatment and disposal, drainage, electricity transmission and distribution systems, solid waste management facility, metro railway systems, piped natural gas, communications or such other urban infrastructure which connects two or more sectors, municipal colonies or villages or which provides for the infrastructure needs of the region.
The Metropolitan Region Development Authority shall be deemed to be a local authority within the meaning of the term“Local Authority” as defined in General Clauses Act 1897.

Composition of the Authority

The Metropolitan Region Development Authority established under
section (1) of section 3 shall consist of the Chief Minister,
Minister for Housing and Urban Development,
Minister for Transport,
Members of Parliament in the Metropolitan Region,
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development,
Mayor of the Municipal Corporation concerned,
Presidents of the Municipal Committees and Municipal Council
within the Metropolitan Region. The
Chairpersons of the District Planning and Development Boards
in the Metropolitan Region are also members of this authority along with
Four Members of the Legislative Assembly, representing
constituencies falling wholly or partly within the limits of the
Metropolitan Region, to be nominated by the Government.

The other members include
Chief Secretary,
Administrative Secretary, Housing and Urban Development
Department,
Chief Executive Officer-CEO,
Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police of the
respective Region,
Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation within the
Capital City along with
experts of eminence, not exceeding six, as the Government
may from time to time nominate from the field of urban
infrastructure, public administration, finance, management, urban
forestry, environment, engineering, town planning,
Vice-Chairperson(s)/Chief Executive Officer(s) of the Development Authorities
and
Deputy Commissioner(s) of the District(s) falling in the
Metropolitan Region.
The Chief Minister of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be the Chairperson and the Chief Executive Officer-CEO
shall be the Member-Secretary of the Authority.

Executive Committee

The J&K Metropolitan Region Development Authorities Act, 2018 has a provision of constitution of an
an Executive Committee which consists of the following members, namely:

(a) Chief Secretary to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir;

(b) Administrative Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development,

Finance, Planning, Monitoring and Development, Tourism,

Transport, R&B and PHE and Flood Control Departments ;

(c) Divisional Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police of

the respective Region ;

(d) Municipal Commissioner of the Corporation in Capital City ;

(e) Vice-Chairperson(s)/Chief Executive Officer(s) of Development

Authority(ies) in the Region ;

(f) Chief Executive Officers of Jammu & Srinagar Smart Cities Ltd. ;

(g) Chief Executive Officer Economic Reconstruction Agency ;

(h) Chief Town Planner, Town Planning Organization of the Region ;

(i) Managing Director J&K Housing Board ;

(j) Three members who are experts in the field of urban planning and

infrastructure development, to be appointed by the Government ;

and

(k) Financial Advisor/Chief Accounts Officer of the Authority.

The Chief Secretary is the Chairperson of the Executive Committee and the Chief Executive Officer-CEO
is the Member-Secretary of the Executive Committee.

Residents Advisory Council

Under the provisions of this act, a Residents Advisory Council-RAC has to be constituted to aid and advise the Metropolitan Region Development Authority
so as to discharge its duties smoothly.
The Residents Advisory Council shall consist of the Chief Executive Officer, who shall preside over the meetings of the council. This council will have the following members

(a) Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation concerned

(b) Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of the

Districts falling in the Metropolitan Region

(c) Director Urban Local Bodies of the respective division

(d) Director Tourism of the respective division

(e) Chief Engineers of Public Works Department, Public Health
Engineering Department, Power Development Department and

Urban Environment Engineering Department of the Region

(f) such officers of the Authority, not exceeding two, as the Chief
Executive Officer may, from time to time, nominate
and

(g) such persons, not less than six and not more than ten, being
residents in the Metropolitan Region, to be nominated from

amongst resident welfare associations, civil society, labour,
industry, real estate developers, commerce and services by the

Authority or the Executive Committee, in such manner and for
such term, as may be prescribed.
The Residents Advisory Council is supposed to
aid and advise the Authority
on the implementation of the annual plan of action for infrastructure
development, mobility management plan and the plan for sustainable
management of the urban environment and make appropriate such
recommendations, as it may decide.

CEO with Principal Secretary's Rank

The section 13 of the J&K Metropolitan Region Development Authorities Act, 2018 says that the Government shall appoint a Chief Executive Officer-CEO for the Authority who shall be an officer not below the rank of PrincipalSecretary to the Government.
The Government on a request being made by the Executive
Committee, appoints one or more Additional/Deputy/Assistant Chief Executive Officers who shall be officer(s) not below the rank of Secretary/Special
Secretary/Additional Secretary to the Government. As of now the charge of CEO is held by the Commissioner Secretary to Govt HUDD but the officer is not of the rank of Principal Secretary to Government.

Powers and Functions of the Authority

The main objective of this act as per section 14 is to secure the development of the Metropolitan Region according to the Development Plan and for that purpose, the functions of the Authority is as under:

(i) To review any physical, financial and economic plan
any project or scheme for development which may be

proposed or may be in the course of execution or may be
completed in the Metropolitan Region

(iii) To
formulate Schemes for the development of the Metropolitan

Region or any part thereof
and to
execute projects and schemes

(v) To
recommend to the Government any matter or proposal requiring
action by the Government or any other authority for the overall development of the Metropolitan Region and to
participate with any other authority for inter-regional development

(vii) To finance any project or scheme for the development of the
Metropolitan Region and to
coordinate execution of the projects or schemes for the
development of the Metropolitan Region and to
supervise or otherwise ensure adequate supervision over the
planning and execution of any project or scheme, the expenses
of which, in whole or in part, are to be met from the Metropolitan
Region Development Fund.

(x) To
prepare schemes and advise the concerned authorities in
formulating and undertaking schemes for development of social,
economic and industrial infrastructure in the Metropolitan
Region.

Conclusion

There are many areas in Srinagar outgrowths which neither come under SMC nor other local bodies and these areas are included under Srinagar Metropolitan Region Development Authority. This authority has to execute works in these areas through different executing agencies but that isn't happening. If the J&K Metropolitan Region Development Authorities Act has been enacted in 2018 why hasn't this law been made operational on ground? The areas like Nagbal , Pandach, Narbal , Gopalpora , Kralpora, Balhama, Khrew and many areas are urbanised but they lack basic civic amenities. There is no institution that would cater to their needs like setting up drainage systems etc. The Urban Environment Engineering Department -UEED says they can't work outside Srinagar city and the Rural Development Department has no such facilities available to cater to such demands. Where shall these people go to seek help? The dream of Greater Srinagar cannot be realized unless the Govt doesn't make Srinagar Metropolitan Region Development Authority operational.

Views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer

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