Lucknow, 22 January: The Urban Development Department has taken an important step towards providing more financial and administrative freedom to the urban bodies of the state. The Urban Development Department has made the operating process more simple and accountable by making extensive amendments in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued in the year 2021.
Under this, now Nagar Panchayats will have the autonomy to do works worth up to Rs 1 crore and Municipal Councils will have the autonomy to do works worth up to Rs 2 crore. Along with this, a provision has also been made to recover fifty-fifty percent amount from the concerned contractor and administrative officer for the irregularities or deficiency in quality in the construction works done by the urban bodies.
Apart from this, emphasis will also be laid on the use of new technology to speed up the development process of urban bodies.
Amendment made in SOP 2021 of urban bodies of the state In accordance with the wishes of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Urban Development Department of the state has provided more financial and administrative autonomy to the urban bodies as per the 74th Constitutional Amendment.
The Urban Development Department has approved the necessary changes in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued in 2021. Under this, the department has re-determined the financial limit of urban bodies keeping in mind the increase in market rates.
According to which now the Nagar Panchayats of the state have been allowed to do construction and other development works of Rs 1 crore and Nagar Palika Parishads Rs 2 crore. Whereas till now they were allowed to get works done only up to Rs 40 lakh.
Amrit Abhijat, Principal Secretary of Urban Development Department said that the amendment in the SOP will not only give financial autonomy to the local urban bodies, but will also ensure the quality and transparency of development works. This will make urban administration more effective in public interest.
Contractors will be responsible for lack of quality in construction works: The Urban Development Department has afresh fixed the accountability of the concerned contractor, engineer and administrative officer for any irregularity or lack of quality in the construction and development works of urban bodies.
According to the major amendment made in the SOP, if there is an extra payment due to lack of quality or error in measurement in any construction or development work, then 50 per cent of it will be recovered from the concerned contractor and the remaining 50 per cent amount will be recovered from the engineer and administrative officers.