The Hindu : Reduce maintenance fee, demand residents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reduce maintenance fee, demand residents

By Our Staff Reporter

Some frequently used roads are relaid. This one apparently does not figure in that list. Circas Road, also known as Kishkintha road at West Tambaram, is crying for attention. — Photo: V. Ganesan

CHENNAI, JAN.18 . Over 100 residents of Nanganallur and Adambakkam today got together to protest against the Alandur Municipality's decision to levy a monthly maintenance fee of Rs. 150 for those covered under the recently-completed first phase of the underground drainage project.

Members of the United Forum of Nanganallur Welfare Associations and the Federation of Adambakkam Welfare Associations discussed relaying of important roads on completion of the drainage work and increasing bus routes and fleet strength. Among other issues that came up were delay in house service connections for sewers, introduction of night patrolling and security arrangements in residential areas and linking of 36th and 23rd streets at Thillai Ganga Nagar with Medavakkam Main road to ease traffic.

V. Ramarao, general secretary of the Nanganallur association, said the sewer scheme, costing Rs. 34 crores, proposed by the municipality in 1999, was started in 2000 and the first phase of house connections was commissioned on July 2 last. Out of an estimated 28,000 connections in the Nanganallur, Palavanthangal and Adambakkam areas, only 2,000 persons from the economically weaker sections had not opted for the connection. If the monthly maintenance fee of Rs. 150 was collected from 26,000 house connections, the local body would get Rs. 4.68 crores in a year. But, R.S. Bharati, Alandur Chairman, had gone on record saying the operator would have to be paid Rs. 1.92 crores a year for maintenance of the sewage treatment plant. "So, there is an excess of Rs. 2.76 crores per year," he said.

The associations suggested that maintenance charges be reduced to Rs. 50 and it would work out to Rs. 1.56 crores a year. The shortfall of Rs. 36 lakhs could be met with grants from the State Government as a special case for the pioneering project, said G. Parthasarathy, convener of the Adambakkam associations.

The associations requested their members to defer payment of maintenance charges until the order for revision was issued. They said the service charges should be uniform throughout the State.

The residents also called for provision of a concrete slope staircase at the Palavanthangal railway station. ``Most of the residents are retired employees. It will be very difficult to climb a flight of 47 stairs to reach the broad gauge platform.''

On the issue of deposit amount for water supply, the Nanganallur association members also demanded that water charges be reviewed. ``The deposit should be collected only according to the number of actual connections in every apartment and not from each assessee residing in the flats,'' Mr. Ramarao said.

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