Doha: The Central Municipal Council (CMC) yesterday decided to forward two recommendations to the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning on single workers’ accommodation in family residential areas and construction of wedding halls.
The legal committee of the CMC passed the recommendation on single workers’ accommodation and referred it to the ministry concerned through the Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning.
The CMC said in its latest recommendation that its earlier recommendations on single workers’ accommodation in families areas, its grievances regarding implementation of Law No. 15/2010 and the ministerial decision No. 38/2011 on the issue be taken note of.
The CMC said in its recommendation that the authorities concerned should take note of the exempted categories of workers and that signboards should be displayed on the exempted buildings to avoid confusion when filing complaints.
The CMC also urged authorities to build fence to protect privacy of neighbouring families.
The proposal was presented by Councillor Fatima Al Kawari, who represents constituency No. 9. It was based on complaints by some citizens regarding an increasing in the number of single workers in Al Thumama which is a model area inhabited by a significant number of nationals.
The complaints mentioned that this is being associated with villa partitions, and pressure on facilities and infrastructure.
An official from Doha Municipality attended discussion on the issue and stressed that the municipality receives single and collective complaints on single workers’ accommodation.
According to the law, the owner of the real estate is responsible for violation; and if the building is found rented by a sub-tenant, then the sub-tenant is responsible for the violation.
According to the municipality, the only place exempted is the Industrial Area, he said, adding that exemption has been made for public employees, those working in schools, hospitals and other services outlets.
The meeting recommended that companies should be fined QR25,000 and in case of repeat violations, it should be doubled, said the official. No reconciliation should be allowed.
“Through the courts we have managed to force companies to vacate accommodations and pay fines,” said the official.
The Services and Facilities Committee of the CMC passed a recommendation, urging the chairman of the council to forward it to the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning.
The recommendation urged the ministry to allocate plots of land for construction of wedding halls in the proposed constituencies with similar areas given for building wedding halls in Al Rafaa and Zayian. It also urged the ministry to coordinate with the competent authorities.
The recommendation was based on a proposal made by councillors representing constituencies No. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 21, 22.
The council decided in its seventh meeting to refer the proposal to the services committee for further discussion and advice on what should be done.
Councillors made the proposal based on complaints by many citizens in these constituencies. They complained about a lack of wedding halls and their rising rents and urged the government to build wedding halls and provide them for free as those in Al Zayian and Al Rafaa.
The Peninsula
