The Hindu : Ambattur residents gherao municipal officials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Ambattur residents gherao municipal officials

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI NOV. 29. Residents of Ram Nagar, Ambattur, gheraoed the Municipal Commissioner and the Chairman, who were on their way to the council hall, on Friday complaining of an increase in civic and law and order problems in the area after some conservancy workers started camping nearby.

They said the workers were brought from Karnataka by a private agency that was recently awarded a contract for lifting garbage in parts of Padi, Anna Nagar West, Mogappair East and West and the Ambattur Industrial Estate. Since their arrival a couple of months ago, petty crimes went up in the area and the civic conditions deteriorated, the residents alleged.

Led by the councillor, B. Mathi, the residents blocked the entrance of the council premises when the Commissioner, A .M. Selvam, reached there.

Municipal officials said the workers and their vehicles were temporarily housed at the council building. Alternative sites given to them at Padi and Korattur were not ready for occupation.

The residents alleged that the workers were using the council premises as open toilets. The well there, connected to a rainwater harvesting structure, was rendered unusable owing to faecal contamination, said B. Elango, president, Ram Nagar Residents' Welfare Association.

Stray incidents of theft and chain-snatching were reported. "A few days ago, eight sovereigns of jewellery was burgled from our house," said Anusuya, a resident of Maduram Street.

The contractor promised that the workers, hailing from Davangere, would be accommodated in tents, said Nagappa, a worker.

The residents also demanded action against a movie theatre nearby that was letting out sewage on streets.

They dispersed only after the Chairman, K. Rukmangathan, and the Commissioner assured them that the workers would be shifted soon.

Meanwhile, DMK councillors, gathered for the council meeting, refused to go into the hall complaining stench. They finally stepped in after authorities arranged for incense sticks. The meeting began at 3-30 p.m., an hour behind schedule.

The DMK and PMK members charged the Municipality with issuing notices for payment of property tax arrears to those who had already paid up. Balakumaran of the DMK said the civic body did not streamline the tax collection system. Many of the residents paid their dues at the computerised collection points, but were served notices. He was supported by Anandan (PMK) and Mathi (DMK).

The Chairman assured them that the system would be streamlined by January and such mistakes would not repeat.

Later, revenue officials said they had despatched 10,000 notices to defaulters during a special drive that began this month.

Mistakes, they said, could have crept in as the tax collectors could not have updated their arrears list from the computer centre.

Of the Rs. 2-crore arrears, the officials said they had already collected Rs. 1.2 crores. From January, tax collection would be done only at the computerised counters at Korattur, Venkatapuram, Mogappair and the Municipal Office on MTH Road.

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