Tuesday 21 April 2015

GS PAPER 4: CASE STUDY 2 WITH MODEL ANSWER BY S K MISHRA, IAS (RETD.)

GS PAPER 4: CASE STUDY 2 WITH MODEL ANSWER
BY S K MISHRA, IAS (RETD.)
Case Study : There are four round-abouts in a city which are very crowded, resulting into a traffic jam. The city has a business potential, besides residents desire that there should be some attempts to beautify these places as is done in many other cities of the country. You are municipal commissioner of the city and a delegation of eminent people have come to meet you with a request to do something for the purpose. You checked up with your finance and accounts department, which expressed its reluctance

to part with resources.
(a) What are various options before you?
(b) Discuss the merits/demerits of each options and finally suggest best option which you would choose giving justifications.

Answer: As a municipal commissioner one has following options.
1. Chief engineer should be directed to prepare a plan and estimate to beautify these places and forward the same to state government to release funds for the purpose.
2. A resolution could be brought in Municipal Corporation to authorize tax collectors to collect voluntary donations from willing residents.
3. Request could be made to local M.P/MLA to take up these schemes out of their MPLAD/MLALAD funds.
4. Steps could be taken to remove encroachments near these places in order to have more spaces for traffic to move smoothly.
5. Some of the best practices which are done elsewhere could be adopted.
Merits/ Demerits of various options –
1. It will help to project our needs and will work in our favour because of its objectivity. However government may unlikely provide the funds because it will have to provide resources to other urban bodies for similar purpose.
2. If any new project has to be taken up, it must be brought before Municipal Corporation. But collecting donation will be illegal because it violates civil service conduct rules.
3. MPs/MLAs have substantial resources and hence they could be requested upon, however they may insist for putting their name in the project. They may also insist for erecting a suitable memorial in the name of their political mentors and in the process the project may get politicalized.
4. The basic purpose could be solved through it and the traffic problem may be solved. However the encroachers may again occupy the vacant space which has become available.
5. Some other urban local bodies might have done some innovative projects which could be replicated, but tailored made projects do not succeed.
The best option will be to tap the business/industrial house or PSU like banks etc and the work could be assigned to them. They could be given exclusive advertisement right with an undertaking that they take the responsibility of maintaining the project.

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