Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is going to reintroduce involvement of Resident’s Welfare Associations (RWA) for monitoring sanitation activities in various wards. The associations will certify the sanitation work being taken up by the staff and they will not have any role in financial transactions like payment of wages. In fact, a scheme, Subhram, was implemented in the city 6 to 7 years ago and some Resident’s Welfare Associations entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the GVMC to implement the programme under Public Private Partnership.
Sanitation workers have been engaged in the programme and the amount was paid through bank cheques and the corporation had released the funds only if the work was satisfactory based on the assessment of the sanitary inspector concerned and the resident’s association. Subsequently, the scheme was wound up since financial activities were found to be unmanageable and role of RWAs has been terminated. Now, the GVMC plans to implement the same strategy without monetary obligations to the associations. The GVMC is handing over control over sanitation staff members to the associations on the pilot basis initially and it would be replicated in other parts of the city after verifying efficacy of the programme.
“Local legislators also pointed out recently at a meeting about accountability for sanitation workers and . The programme would be extended to other areas later, he added. Contractors will carry out the sanitation work as usual in many wards, but the associations would do the monitoring. Some associations have also been approaching the GVMC for good sanitation work in the areas and were expressing their willingness to shoulder the responsibility of monitoring the staff members voluntarily, officials said.
